I had a hard time believing that this next wedding was 99% handcrafted by the couple with their families and friends. That was until I found out that it was the wedding of Aileen whose blog – Love & Lavender – I have followed since my own wedding planning days.  Simply Rosie Photography captured every last detail – of which there might be too many to count! –  from the pinwheel boutonnieres to the fun photo booth.  Check out all the DIY design in the full gallery to see what is possible with a little bit of inspiration and a whole lot of heart!

More DIY design in the full gallery!

From Aileen –

“The food [was] homemade by our families. We had a bbq reception with tons of sides that our families made ahead of time. For dessert, we had a small tiered cake by Pure Bliss Desserts as well as triple chocolate cheesecakes (made by Ben’s sister) and tons of Italian cream cake (made by Ben’s dad). We also had drawers filled with homemade cookies and old-fashioned donuts.

We collected vintage books and mason jars from thrift stores for months. Every centerpiece was different. We also used doilies as runners underneath and added paper pinwheels that I made. On the bridal party table, we also added oversized skeleton keys I bought from Pottery Barn. My bridesmaids, my mom, and I did all the flowers ourselves the day before the wedding, including the bouquets.

I made the cake topper to look like a mini-me of Ben and I. I also made all the boutonnieres. For our photobooth, we hung pinwheels from a tree and propped some empty white frames up against a bench. People loved it! We had them fill out cards with their favorite memories of us or advice to go along with their photobooth pictures. We hung pictures of us throughout the years in the front of the lodge, clipped onto twine with mini clothespins and we had croquet during the reception (which we took advantage of for the bridal party photos). We also did the invitations, programs, and other paper goods ourselves, and I hand-painted all the wood signs.”

Vendor Credits: The venue: The Beau Lodge / Bride’s dress –  was custom made by Milly Bridal / Photographers: Rosie and Mark Haberl of Simply Rosie Photography / Bridesmaid dresses: Anthropologie / Groomsmen attire: ties from J.Crew, suspenders from Urban Outfitters / Hair and makeup: bridesmaid / Cake: Pure Bliss Desserts

How adorable is this next couple? And it’s not just because the groom’s beard rivals that of my husband. They were married at the bride’s parents’ home…the very same place where the groom picked her up for their first date! Their wedding, captured by Alison Conklin, was the ultimate handmade soiree. The bride, along with her mom and sisters, not only arranged the flowers themselves but grew most of them too. A summer farm wedding wouldn’t be complete without strawberry shortcake and locally-grown comfort food. Everything else from the cake topper to the sangria was handmade!  Here is a little taste but for buckets of inspiration check out the full gallery!

More DIY details in the full gallery!

And before we let you get away too fast, we HAD to share this awesome video that Evan Scott crafted for the couple. You can really see how all of that gorgeousness came to life. Evan is an awesome cinematographer and he approached this wedding with the same charm and style that was captured in the photographs. Love, love, love.

Remember to check out the full gallery!

We decided to have the wedding at my parents farm in Kempton, PA, because it’s absolutely beautiful in the summertime (when everything is lush and green!) and it’s special to me and Josh -it’ s where he picked me up for our first date. Although I loved the idea of an outdoor wedding, I wanted to have a “plan b” in case of rain, so we ended up cleaning out the barn to use for the ceremony (and reception in case of rain). We hung an old, ornate headboard above the “alter” and the barn shelves were lined with an old blue glass bottle collection I bought at a yard sale last spring.

The women in my family are pretty into gardening, so we grew most of the flowers ourselves, and my mom, sisters and I arranged them for the bouquets and centerpieces.

Sometimes, I’m at a loss for words. Well, to be honest, I’m at a loss for words quite often. But this wedding, sent to us by Weddings by Socialites, really left me speechless. Kate ~ this stunning bride ~ seems almost ethereal, as though she was floating throughout the entire day!

floral design by signature florals

All of the accoutrements of the day … the bouquets, the floral centerpieces, the billowing fabric, and the most soothing colors in this seaside palette … peaceful, joyful, simple serenity …

images courtesy of Ashley Brockinton

from Kelly at Weddings by Socialites …

This quaint couple met, fell in love, and brought the majority of their family & friends from England in celebration of their marriage! This beautiful destination wedding was located on the water at Villa Aloreon, a private residence, in Fort Myers, Florida. The three story villa was large enough for the entire wedding party to stay and continue their fun. Kate had her hair and make-up done on site, and then shared a romantic first glance with Tim prior to meeting their wedding party for pre-ceremony photos on the picturesque grounds of the Villa Aloreon. Their ceremony on the bay was created to be very intimate and simply romantic underneath the bamboo blessing canopy. The cocktail hour had swaying sheer aqua linens and accents of sea glass, shells, and candles. A bubble motif was carried throughout the wedding, both high and low through details such as invitations, menus, escort cards and paper lanterns. The reception also included crisp white linens topped off with cheerful centerpieces consisting of deep purple hydrangea and bright coral roses. To add a little bit of European flavor each guest received a monogrammed pillow box of English breakfast tea.

Tim & Kate

Tim and Kate met in Cambridge, England while Kate was studying there in 2007. Of all places, they met during a rowing club social event at a pub in the city!  They went out for their first date a week later and never looked back!

the proposal {from Kate}
Well, the day started out with a drive to an unknown location. This location turned out to be a beautiful beach that we never got to see. Unknown to Tim at the time, this was a government restricted area that you can only access by special permit! After a bit of panic and some tactful, ‘lets drive the scenic route home’ talk from Tim and some very interesting navigation with the GPS, we ended up at a gorgeous secluded beach at sunset.

the proposal {from Tim}
Once we got out of the car and walked along the beach I was very nervous although I don’t know why. I had the ring in my pocket and wasn’t sure when to ask Kate, although I knew she would be expecting it. We walked for a few minutes and then I asked her to marry me. I was so happy when she said yes!

change of plans
The planning of our wedding went through many different stages and eventually we settled on getting married in England. Then a job offer came through that we could not refuse and we threw all the plans out the window and moved ourselves and the wedding to America. With Kellyʼs incredible help we managed to reorganize the wedding in a little over two months!

the wedding
The best part for us was that almost all of our family and friends ~ from England and all over America ~ changed their plans and flew to Florida for the wedding. We hope they know how much it meant to us!

most memorable part
Our last dance is the moment that both of us remember more than anything else. Most of the guests had gone home and only Tim and I were left on the dance floor. During the song the whole world seemed to stop and we were the only people in the room. It was the best way to end a perfect day. (song: Boats and Birds – Gregory & The Hawk)

Event Design/Planning: Weddings by Socialites/ Kelly McWilliams
Photography: Ashley Brockinton
Flowers: Signature Florals
Cinematography: AMC Video Productions
Ceremony/Reception: Private Residence on the Gulf of Mexico
Hair: Jennifer King
Make-up: Heather Longshore
Cake: Mason’s Bakery

So now that you all have had the chance to pore through so many gorgeous images from Abby’s chic Rhode Island nuptials, (thanks to the fabulous Leila of Olive Juice Photography) we have an extra super duper special bonus. Elysium Productions, the end all be all in wedding film makers, was on hand to capture the sweetest of moments, the prettiest of details a la TRUE Event and all of the gorgeous in between. We heart this beautiful film to the millionth degree and we’re pretty sure you will too. Grab a comfy seat and prepare to get lost for a moment in a perfect little film and from the whole gang at Style Me Pretty, we wish Abby and Andrew a lifetime of love and happiness. Congrats you two!! xoxo

Abby + Andrew: Highlights from Elysium Productions on Vimeo.

Photography: Olive Juice Photography / Cinematography:  Elysium Productions /  Flowers: Sayles Livingston Flowers / Event Design & Planning: TRUE Event / Ceremony Location: Watch Hill Chapel / Reception Location: Ocean House / Invitations: Paper Moss / Shoes: Kate Spade / Dress:Reverie style Mallorc from White Dress by the Shore / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Makeup: Skin Care by Yadira / Ties: Custom made from Vineyard Vines / Band: Nancy Paolino & The Black Tie Band / Cocktail Entertainment: The Brown Derbies / Hair: LaLaLuxe Salon / Photobooth: Smilebooth / Calligraphy: Megan Chapin Calligraphy

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Bridesmaid

Jenny Yoo

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Today we are so very excited to share this perfect Rhode Island beauty. Not only is it knock down, drag out gorgeous and filled with some of the very best vendors out there but it happens to be the wedding of our very own Abby who is now a Mrs. to her Mr. and we couldn’t be more excited for her. Seriously, there was lots and lots of squealing and smiling around here when we laid eyes on the beautiful images from Leila Brewster Photography. Filled with the most perfect styling from our favorite Sarah True of TRUE Event and the breathtaking backdrop that is the Ocean House, these seaside nuptials are mega swoontastic. And there is even more where this came from. We’ll be back in a bit with the film from another favorite, Elysium Productions. In the meantime, be sure to head over to the gallery for a ton more pretty.

see more of the beautiful day here!

From the positively, absolutely glowingly gorgeous Bride…

I am an old soul. Through and through. Luckily, I found another old soul to share our crazy time together on this lovely planet. Andrew and I met in the fairytale town of Watch Hill, RI. A little place that loves old souls. My family has always loved the area and Andrew’s family is from the area. Our paths crossed in the sleepy summer of 2004 when I was spending my last days between college and the real world on the beach. He was there too. We meet at a mutual friends cookout, and really, our lives were never the same (corny and oh so true). Six years later when Andrew proposed there was no question where we would get married. We would most definitely start the next chapter right where our story began – in Watch Hill, RI. Luckily for the wedding/ design obsessed person in me – it’s the most beautiful place in the world (biased opinion, yes). We didn’t want to take away from the natural, New England beauty but we also wanted to make it was completely personal and memorable. That was a big director in our creative vision for the wedding. We wanted something classic, timeless and simple in a way that was focused on the purpose of the event. We chose the colors (blue & yellow) to compliment the ocean and our amazing reception venue – The Ocean House. We wanted our little details to look almost as if they belonged there. From the table cloths to the pillows we brought in to our Adirondack chair guest book – everything was to appear as it happened effortlessly. Of course, the amazing Sarah True of TRUE Events had a LOT to do with making everything look so effortlessly perfect. Also note, my dad made the shutters for the escort cards – he told me he wants full credit.

Being an old soul, the invitation suite was something I held as one of the most important aspects of the wedding planning process. Let me tell you, I found a soul mate in Emily of Paper Moss. She knew exactly how to bring my vision to life and literally created the most gorgeous invitation suite I could have ever imagined. We carried over the theme into the decor on the wedding day including welcome bags, programs, menus with fun facts about Andrew & I, signage, coasters, etc. It was a fully branded occasion. It’s no secret I am obsessed with Style Me Pretty and have been stalking the blog since the beginning. Never did I realize how priceless it would be when finding vendors.I was SO incredibly lucky to find and get the opportunity to work with Leila of Leila Brewster Photography and Julie & Libby of Elysium Productions. One thing I didn’t want to be old school was the photography or videography! These ladies are so incredibly talented (and incredibly fun to hang out with). They are complete masters of their art. A couple additional details important to Andrew & I – we had a Del’s Lemonade truck (with adorable little monogrammed stirrers from Paper Moss) outside the church. Del’s is our all time favorite Rhode Island refreshment -to us summer isn’t summer without Dels. For cocktail hour, we had the Brown Derbies a capella group perform as a little nod to Andrew’s Alma mater, and it was a huge hit with the guests! I grew up in Tennessee and went to the University of Tennessee so we ran out to Rocky Top complete with orange and white pom poms as a nod to mine.

One of the best moments of the night was our first dance. My dad sang a favorite Paul McCartney song while he played the guitar. Which is absolutely my favorite thing in the world. It was such a memorable & personal moment. It really goes to show why I love weddings – they are just full of irreplaceable moments in people’s lives. It was literally the best day ever. I’m honored to be able to share it.

Photography: Leila Brewster Photography / Cinematography:  Elysium Productions /  Flowers: Sayles Livingston Flowers / Event Design & Planning: TRUE Event / Ceremony Location: Watch Hill Chapel / Reception Location: Ocean House / Invitations: Paper Moss / Shoes: Kate Spade / Dress:Reverie style Mallorc from White Dress by the Shore / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Makeup: Skin Care by Yadira / Ties: Custom made from Vineyard Vines / Band: Nancy Paolino & The Black Tie Band / Cocktail Entertainment: The Brown Derbies / Hair: LaLaLuxe Salon / Photobooth: Smilebooth / Calligraphy: Megan Chapin Calligraphy

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

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Bridesmaid

Jenny Yoo

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“It’s all in the details!” OK, I know, not so original, but sooooo true! The details reflect your passion, your personality and your creativity. Sometimes it’s really hard, though to narrow down the possibilities and that’s when your wedding planners and designers truly shine! Today’s feature ~ an upscale rustic chic wedding from the lovelies at Outstanding Occasions ~ is a wedding choreographed by the best.

Lavender, anemones, dark wood tones and punches of chartreuse green and eggplant color joined together to create beautiful details for a wedding at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. The boxed invitation set the tone for the beautifully detailed wedding day. Inside the labeled ivory box laid a small jute bag with dried lavender sewn onto the top. The printed invitation fit snug inside the jute bag. The details from the invitation carried over to the ceremony by way of the ivory anemones, the dark wooden benches, the lavender-lined aisle and the floral garland made up of ivory, deep purple flowers and lush greens.

images courtesy of platt photography

The guests were greeted at the cocktail hour with a beautiful harvest table which displayed the shabby chic shutters used to display the escort cards. The reception continued the design concept with anemone and moss green centerpieces and flax linen napkins embellished with natural twine and dried lavender. The candles were wrapped with natural twine and the table numbers were printed with deep purple ink on lavender paper in a detailed ivory frame. Candles in mason jars were hung from the beautiful rustic chandeliers and lit up the room. The floral and purple and green accents were carried onto the cake. At the end of the night, the shutters were reused as a backdrop to the baskets of fresh bread and small jars of homemade orange marmalade from the orange groves at the Royal Palms, which were used as favors for the wedding guests.

You see? The DETAILS are just spellbinding! Take a peek at more gorgeous weddings from Outstanding Occasions on their website and their blog!

Wedding Planners: Outstanding Occasions Venue: Royal Palms Resort and Spa Photography: Platt Photography Florist: Camelback Flowershop Stationery: idieh design Videography: My Wedding Film DJ: Creative Touch Entertainment Officiant: Terry Crist Rentals: Classic Party Rentals Photo of invitation: Kimberly Jarman Photography

more from their blog …

clever vintage book inspired photoshoot

gorgeous wedding cake pedestals

some wedding advice

The Dessy Group is our absolute go to spot for all things fabulous in wedding attire. We seriously can’t get enough of their huge array of pretty apparel and if finding the perfect bridesmaid dress is on your to do list then Dessy is a must. Add to that the brand spankin new Lela Rose collection and we have a little slice of dress heaven on our hands.

Founded on the designer’s vision to create classic silhouettes with a whimsical twist, the newest collection of Lela Rose Bridesmaid dresses are perfectly gorgeous and ever so chic. With everything from flirty cocktail dresses to beautiful full length gowns, this line has a little something for everyone. Believe us when we tell you, your maids will thank you for placing them in these prettiest of frocks.

Pretty pictures AND pretty dresses is a winning combo in our book. Plus, the Lela Rose Bridesmaid collection is meant for any special occasion – not just weddings. Which means you can turn that bridesmaid dress into a cocktail party dress, a night out with the girls, or even rock it at the next wedding you’re invited to. The possibilities are endless. Hence why we mega heart Lela Rose and her fabulous new line. Undeniably pretty, effortlessly chic and completely wearable.

All of you New York Brides-to-be should pay extra special attention because The Wedding Library is hosting an event that you will not want to miss. Meet Lela Rose and peruse her new 2011 collection with all of your besties. Cocktails and gorgeous dresses…does it get any better? The festivities are going down Thursday, November 4 from 6-8 pm at The Wedding Library in New York City. And it gets even better! Any orders placed during the event (or the trunk show happening Nov. 2-6) are eligible for a special gift AND a 10 percent discount. Click here for RSVP details. Happy dress shopping!

We are going to start today off with a lovely display of inspiration from our latest From Inspiration to Reality feature. If you are new to the block, we’ll fill you in. This is a capital A-Awesome feature where some of our favorite vendors create a shoot based on an inspiration board straight from the style circle. Before we delve into the shoot, lets take a gander at the gorgeous board that started the inspiration a rolling…

We are loving the classic, elegant approach and the resulting shoot? Let’s just say they hit the nail on the head. Some of the talented vendors involved include photography by Rae Leytham, florals by Monark Events and design and styling by Customized Wedding Creations, Brenda’s Wedding Blog, and It’s a “Shore” Thing as well as a host of other wonderful talent. Now let’s dive right into the shoot inspired by the words kiss, sweet, and love…

see more from this pretty shoot here!

From Brenda of Wedding Girl and Cherin of Customized Wedding Creations…

The overall color scheme was chocolate brown, gold, aqua and cream. After seeing the inspiration board with Kiss, Love, Sweet we knew right away we’d be incorporating these words into the design, as well as the beautiful script. The theme of three’s was prevalent in the inspiration board with the three cards, so we were able to pull that aspect into the shoot in several different ways. The three words, “Kiss”, “Love, and “Sweet” were hand-painted onto three different pieces, the parasol, the chair covers, and the dessert table runner. The card box was three-tiered and also had a cluster of three flowers attached. Three different styles of wedding garters were also used to add to the décor element. We also featured a three-tiered wedding cake and three tiers of desserts on the Sweets Table. You can even see clusters of three within the bouquet and floral arrangements and the center crystals inside the sugar flower napkin rings.For the invitations and place cards, we wanted to create something with a bit of glam and elegance, so an illustration of peonies immediately came to mind. And, adding some hand-painting with glitter paint gave them a bit of extra sparkle. The hand-cut and formed Dupioni silk flowers tied in beautifully to the invitations and we used a blue flower on each chair cover as well as one of the flowers being used on the bride’s bouquet stem and in the bride’s hair too.

From Jennifer of It’s a Shore Thing…

In chatting with Brenda, it was determined that we were going to focus on the three words: “Sweet”, “Love” & “Kiss”! The inspiration board had a vintage look – but we decided to shake it up a bit and add some great teal blue for pops of color and to go with the look of the personalized stationery, which had more of a “Shabby Chic / French” look. The pastry chef custom-made the sugar peonies with crystal centers to match the one on the invitation. They were used as napkin rings at each place setting. The cake was a French vanilla cake with a mascarpone cheese and white chocolate filling infused with pear nectar and vanilla rum. It was decorated with a toile print – to match the French theme and was placed on a shabby chic cake plateau. Running with the “Sweet” theme – we added some miniature mocha cupcakes topped with chocolate covered espresso beans and some vanilla custard creme brulee cups. The bride and groom’s chivari chairs were enhanced with custom eyelet-lace chair covers adorned with the word “Love” and hand-made peony flowers in teal. A variety of flowers was used: blushing bride protea, white ranunculus, cafe au lait dalias, French tulips, soft pink ranunculus, white nigella, soft pink roses, white garden roses, scabiosa pods, white hydrangea and artichokes.

Conceptual Design and Planning: Cherin Szul of Customized Wedding Creations , Brenda Bennett Maille of Brenda’s Wedding Blog, Jennifer W. Lewis of It’s a “Shore” Thing / Coordination: It’s a “Shore” Thing / Photographer: Rae Leytham / Location: Kelli Arnold at Alys Beach / Floral Design: Briane O’Dell & Hillary Fosdyck of Monark Events / Invitations and Place Cards: Wedding Girl / Hand-Painted “Love” Chair Covers, “Kiss” Parasol, “Sweet” Table Runner: Customized Wedding Creations / Wedding Garters: The Garter Girl / Card Box: Creative Custom Card Boxes / Hand-Made Flowers: Emici Bridal / Catering (food, place settings, linens):  Townsend Catering / Pastry Chef (cake, mini desserts, sugar flowers, sugar flower napkin rings): Confections on the Coast / Model: Briane O’Dell from Monark Events / Hair Stylist: Ashley Carter / Makeup Artist: Yvette Nation / Kiss, Love, Sweet Inspiration Board Calligraphy: Xandra Y. Zamora

Just ONE of the many things that Charmed Events Group guarantees you is the luxury of enjoying your wedding day ~ no worries, no stress, just joy! Granted, the months leading up to this day might be a bit stressful, but THE day? No way. It should be charmed bliss! No better example than Natalie and David’s Saratoga wedding …

David and Natalie were married on a beautiful and sunny California day in June. Natalie was a bride that was so in love with her wedding day that the days and months leading up to it were full of planning meticulous details in making sure that everything was just right. Natalie was the ultimate girls’ bride, filling her day with all things pink that included lots of blush pink peonies to die for mixed with bright pink dahlias for her bouquet and floral arrangements. Sitting gloriously atop her floral arrangements were quaint, glittery butterflies that seemed to float right on the tips. Her cake was a beautiful tiered buttercream cake topped with the most perfect sugar anemones surrounded by jewels and crystals. Her beautiful ceremony took place at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church with its magnificent stained glass wall panels and her reception was held at Dynasty in Cupertino, CA. The day was a perfect balance of East meets West as a tea ceremony was held, traditional Chinese table toasts were made, followed by dancing till midnight. ~ Francis Liu, Charmed Events Group

Congratulations on a beautiful day!

See and hear more about David and Natalie’s beautiful wedding on the Charmed Events Group Blog!

Photography: Ellie Grover Photography
Flowers: Poppy’s Petalworks
Event Planning: Charmed Events Group, LLC
Ceremony Location: Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Saratoga, CA
Reception Location: Dynasty, Cupertino, CA
Shoes: Pour Victoire
Cake: Euro Delights
Lighting: Elle Lighting

I love to see weddings where I just know that details were inspired by ideas that the bride found on SMP and around the blogosphere. It’s fun to know that a single detail can be translated by a bride in her own unique way and her wedding will completely represent who she is as a girl and who they are as a couple. With their own personal style stamp. Such is the case with this next absolutely lovely little wedding. Photographed beautifully by Cameron & Kelly Studio and Katrina of Sedona Bride, it’s the epitome of darling with a style that screams totally happy and totally chic. Oh and don’t even get me started on those bridesmaids dresses. Beyond adorable. Make sure to click here to see all of the perfect details.

click here to see the full gallery of details!

One of the most special parts of our wedding was the incorporation of my mom into our day {she passed recently}. My aunt and I reconstructed my mom’s veil, which was made by my mother’s mother and I was so lucky that it worked perfectly with my dress. I also used pieces of my mom’s wedding dress, and remaining parts of her veil for my bouquet wrap and my sister’s bouquet wraps (they were both my maids of honor). The same grandmother also made our wedding cakes. Eric isn’t a big cake fan, but he does like strawberry shortcake, so that’s what we had for “our cake.” We had two strawberry shortcakes, a chocolate-chocolate cake and a pina colada cake, all lovingly and beautifully made by my grandma.

I insisted on family style food service for our reception. I wanted people to feel like they just sat down for a big family dinner, I wanted them to talk and pass food like they would in their own dining room. Shelly did an amazing job of making that happen and every single person raved about how amazing the food was!

One of my favorite memories of our wedding day was walking down the aisle. Not because people were focused on me, in fact, it turns out I really hate being the center of attention, but it was quiet. It was me, it was my dad and we were walking towards my future. It was threatening to rain all day and as we started to walk down the aisle, the thunder clapped, but no rain. I can’t help but think it was my mom voicing her presence and letting us all know that she was part of our day. After that, no more thunder, no more rain.

We also made the decision to bring a little culture to our wedding. Eric’s entire family is Hispanic and we thought it would be really fun to bring in things that were representative of his heritage. One key element that did this was the tradition of the Lasso. It basically replaces the unity candle or sand ceremony. It binds bride and groom with a rosary in a figure 8, or the symbol of eternity, while they say their vows. For our cocktail hour, we created a fiesta complete with Mariachi band, margaritas, chips and salsa bar and “Dia de los Muertos” tissue paper cut outs. We were so thankful that we were able to actually attend part of our cocktail hour due to the phenomenal scheduling on behalf of our wonderful photographers, Cameron & Kelly Studio, who by the way were amazing the whole day.

It’s crazy to me that you spend months and months planning an evening that is over so fast, and though you get annoyed and sick of the planning process, and though you can’t imagine anything that could possibly be worth your time and effort, your wedding comes and then it’s gone and you would do anything to do it all over again. Our wedding really was the best day of my life so far, I became a wife and married my best friend; there’s not much that can beat that!

Photography: Cameron & Kelly Studio / Second Shooter: Katrina of Sedona Bride/ Location: Creekside Inn | sedona, AZ / Caterer: Shelly Mullins of Shegrues / Carole Sill (Bride’s Grandmother) / Florist:  Bliss Extraordinary Floral / Bride’s Gown: La Sposa | Lilian Lottie Couture / Bridemaids dresses: Bari Jay | The Wedding Accessory Super Store / Groom’s suit: Kenneth Cole (all groomsmen bought their own black suit) / Lizmiera from Etsy for the skull patches worn as boutonnieres / Aymujer on Etsy for papel picado / DJ: Mobile Magic Sounds | Rafael Rosas

Genius photographers, Brent and Amanda of Millie Holloman Photography, and design mavens, Salt Harbor, are a powerhouse wedding combo.  Their events are always so thoughtfully planned and flawlessly executed.  Take the next wedding, a personal, intimate affair with so many details that you might just overdose on inspiration. Salt Harbor, inspired by the bride’s lovely lace dress, took the eyelet detail and just ran with it from the stationery to the gorgeous cake to the lace hankies where guests could pen their well wishes.  Keeping the guest list small leaves room to reach beyond the typical wedding decor and bring in tons of unique elements like the old painted tables.  Each and every photo is just beyond beautiful and there is so much more in the full gallery so get clicking!

There is even more sweet, southern charm in the full gallery!

From Jennifer of Salt Harbor Designs –

“Katherine began her wedding planning by choosing her own church as the ceremony location, an adorable historic chapel in the center of a garden.  When she hired us, she wanted to know if there might be a way to have the reception immediately following on the grounds of the chapel.  As soon as I saw the spot, I knew we had to have the reception there!  Katherine chose to only invite their closest family and friends, a head count of 25, and to have the wedding on a Monday morning.  As we discussed the atmosphere she wanted to capture, we decided to design the day as though it was an old-fashioned southern Sunday service with lunch on the grounds afterwards.

To create an old-fashioned feel, we painted several old wooden tables white and brought in front porch rocking chairs.  A Southern Thyme Catering created a great menu of southern fried chicken and served barbeque sundays (barbeque, baked beans, slaw, and cornbread) in mason jars.  Flowers were a combination of hydrangea, scabiosa, garden roses, and stock in old porcelain pictures.  It was the heat of August in North Carolina, so we chose a color palette that felt cool with whites and yellows and served lots of lemonade and ice cream.  We wanted to incorporate lace into the design, similar to Katherine’s dress, so we chose a cake covered in eyelet lace, used Battenberg napkins, punched the program edges with eyelet patterns, and created a guest book of old handkerchiefs.  Favors were personalized picnic baskets for guests to enjoy on the drive home.  The day could not have been any more perfect as Katherine’s nieces and nephews ran around the gardens eating ice cream, men sat talking and chewing on fried chicken, and the older folks enjoyed the rocking chairs while chatting about the ceremony.”

Ceremony and Reception: Lebanon Chapel and Grounds / Photography: Brent and Amanda from Millie Holloman Photography / Event Design, Florals, Paper: Salt Harbor Designs / Coordinator: Sara of Salt Harbor Designs / Catering: Lottie from A Southern Thyme / Cake: Nicki from Nicki’s Cakes / Tent and Glassware: Party Suppliers

Vicki at My Simple Details, Tracy at Timmester Photography and Holly at Holly Heider Chapple Flowers have shared today’s first beautiful wedding with us! Karli and Richard were married at the Whitehall Manor in Northern Virginia in September. Their wedding colors ~ ablaze with deep reds and burgandy combined with brilliant oranges ~ will blow you away!

Don’t you want to just reach out and touch this bouquet? The textures and colors jump off the page!

Holly used deep red baccara roses, black magic roses, deep red dahlias, and deep red mini callas, with red coxcomb for extra interest and texture. The bridesmaids carried clusters of orange roses, coxcomb, spray roses and orchids.

Table numbers were dates that were significant to the couple (read their story below).

Fall wedding colors to perfection!

images courtesy of Timmester Photography.

Karli and Richard

Richard and I met and fell in love when we were sophomores in college.  After graduating in 2005 we both moved to different cities, myself to Boston and Rich to Virginia Beach. We continued on a long distance relationship for 2 years until finally in 2007 we knew we had to make a move. We decided to relocate to the Washington DC area, not far from where Rich had grown up. I made the very difficult decision to leave all of my friends behind and move down to DC for the man I loved, knowing that one day we would be getting married!

After another year I started to “presume” that Rich would be proposing. For every birthday, holiday and night away I would start to think (without letting him know what I was thinking of course) that “maybe today is the day!”. After another year and a half, I convinced myself that it wasn’t happening anytime soon so I finally just stopped thinking about it. Then, on the morning of June 14, 2010 Rich woke up early claiming he couldn’t sleep. I slept for another hour and then woke up to breakfast being made and fresh flowers on the table. I sat down at the table, not really thinking much of it. Rich began telling me that he loved me very much and I could sense the nervousness in his words. He then got up and cleared the dishes and asked me if I was “ready for dessert?” Being that it was 9 am, I was slightly confused and turned around to ask him if he was crazy, and instead found him down on one knee where he then asked me to be his wife! I of course said yes!

We were looking for a venue in which we could hold both the ceremony and reception at the same location. We were really set on an outdoor ceremony from the beginning so that was the main driver. Many places that we visited that had nice outdoor ceremony locations did not come with equally impressive reception locations. Until of course, we found Whitehall. The moment we stepped on to the Whitehall Manor property, we knew this was where we wanted to be married. The front yard has gorgeous, large overgrown trees with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background which of course makes for an amazing ceremony setting. Inside, they have a very nicely updated reception area which was very easy to work with and did not require a lot of extra décor. You also have the view of the mountains from almost any part of the room. We could not have been happier with our venue location.

Our “first look” was one of our best memories of the day. We had not considered it from the beginning, but we had been told by our photographer that for those couples that do see each other beforehand, there is an overwhelming sense of calmness amongst the couple during the ceremony. I knew that I would be a wreck if I didn’t see him before so I started to work on convincing my “ultra-traditional” groom that we needed to see each other beforehand. He finally gave in, and I think he was even happier to see me during our first look than I was. Up until we saw each other for the first time the nerves and butterflies had built up so much that we almost could not take it any longer. It was such a relief to see one another. The second we saw each other all the nerves just melted away and it felt like it was just the two of us there. The feeling continued throughout the wedding ceremony. Seeing Rich smiling at the end of the aisle just made me smile even more and I kept that smile on my face the entire day.

Richard’s mother passed away in 2005. We knew we wanted to include her in the ceremony in some way, without saddening the overall mood of the ceremony. We decided to place a bouquet of flowers on the chair that she would have been sitting in, in the front row. For those of us that could see that one chair, it was a nice reminder of her and I know it meant the world to Richard and his family.

One of the most touching parts of the day was while we were still at the hotel finishing up our hair and make-up. A friend of mine delivered a gift from Rich. Along with a sweet note was a Chinese patterned box and I knew exactly what it was as soon as I saw it and I started to cry. It was his Mother’s pearl necklace. It had been given to him after his Mom passed away. While he did not insist that I wear the necklace on our wedding day, he wanted to be sure that he gave it to me as a gift on the day that I became his wife. I knew I wanted to have it included in the wedding so I chose to wrap it around my wrist and wear it as a bracelet. It was the perfect accessory for a perfect day.

During the reception, instead of a traditional guest book we used a Fuji Instamax camera and asked guests to take a picture of themselves and then place it in our guest book along with a note. The camera was a HUGE hit! Even though it was a joke throughout the wedding that it was the “Zach Morris camera”, it made for some amazing memories for us. The guest book was one of the first things we looked through the day after the wedding and it was absolutely priceless. I highly recommend the instant photo guest book!

We are both pretty simple and traditional. We didn’t want anything to be too over the top…so we chose to keep everything pretty traditional, clean and classic with a twist of romance. With it being Labor Day weekend I wanted to go with a fall color palette. Red is my favorite color so we knew that it needed to be used in some way. I think the girls dresses were the perfect fall red and the orange flowers against their dresses really popped. For our tables we wanted the room to feel calm and romantic. We stuck with natural colors and used a lot of candlelight. I loved how everything came together!

. . .

SMP thanks Vicki at My Simple Details, Timmester Photography and Holly Heider Chapple Flowers for sharing this beautiful day!

Brides Dress: Legends by Romona Keveza / Brides Shoes: J. Crew / Bridesmaid dresses: Aria Dress / Reception Hairpiece: Fine and Fluerie (Etsy) / Grooms Suit: Calvin Klein – Mens Wearhouse / Photographer: Timmester Photography / Event Design & Planning: My Simple Details / Flowers: Holly Heider Chapple Flowers / Entertainment: Kirkabee Deejays / Venue: Whitehall Manor / Cake: A Piece of Cake

A few more floral color combinations we are loving right now on Holly’s blog:

Burgandy and Purple
deep burgundy wine-toned reds,
grapevine wreaths
with fall leaves and eucalyptus,
purple carnations, black baccara roses
and brown hypericum berry

Brilliant Oranges
calla lilies, roses, dahlias and gorgeous green garlands

Copper and gold-toned flowers
with a subtle mix of green and blue

Sunny Yellows
with beautiful Navy decor

This next bride just might be the absolute luckiest girl in the world. First there is the dress which is so beyond gorgeous, it’s sort of taking our breath away. Next up on the lucky list, a super cute wedding held at some of the best spots Georgetown has to offer. They even made an appearance at a cupcake shop for a few amazing photo ops. And maybe the luckiest on the list, the bride married into a family of wedding vendors and had not one but three photography studios to capture the day and a sister in law that just so happens to own Paper Moss. Lucky, lucky duck. See more of this amazing wedding captured by Three Blondes and a Camera, Jennifer Lust and Laura Ashbrook in the gallery.

see the full day here!

From Paper Moss…

The bride and groom, along with their wedding party, braved the heat of quaint + chic Georgetown, DC on a hot summer day. Marrying into a family of wedding vendors, this bride was blessed with a power team of three (yes, 3!) photography companies on her big day. The 106 degree weather didn’t stop this group from treading all over M Street for hours in order to achieve the perfect pics, including a stop at Georgetown Cupcake where some sweet treats awaited. Being high school sweethearts, this couple had a tight knit wedding party that provided endless opportunities for outstanding group shots. We are swooning over the “Just Married” banner and “Thank You” letters – you can’t go wrong with props like these!

The invite suite carried an elegant floral theme from start to finish. “One of the most meaningful additions to my invite shares the bride was the lady bug sitting on the leaf. Growing up my mom used to call me ‘Katie Bug’, so that was a special shout-out to her and she loved it!. The invite designs were even arranged to be included on the photo booth strips that guests got to take home. (How fun is that?!) Keeping things simple, the flower arrangements added the perfect touch to both the bridesmaid dresses and reception décor. And don’t even get us started on the dress… the texture was to die for. It added just the right amount of glam to this simple and elegant wedding. The groom even made sure to include some college pride to his suit with Georgetown Hoya bulldog cuff links. Between the hand drawn letter pressed maps (to escort the guests from the ceremony to reception) orange sodas to cool them off, (the grooms favorite) and a shameless photo booth after dinner, this wedding was covered with fun details.

Photography: Three Blondes and a Camera {with Jennifer Lust & Laura Ashbrook Photography} / Ceremony Venue: Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown / Reception Venue: Sequoia in Georgetown / Stationery: Paper Moss / Flowers: Holly Chapple Flowers / Dress: Amsale / Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Bridal Jewelry (bracelet): J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Men’s suits: Ralph Lauren / Hair & Make Up: O Salon in Georgetown / Ring Pillow: Maihar Design / Photo Booth: Five Star Amusements / Rehearsal Dinner Venue and Hotel: The Ritz Carlton in Georgetown / Cupcake stop: Georgetown Cupcake / Custom Guest Book: Laura Ashbrook Photography / DJ: J White Productions

In celebration of launching their brand spankin new website, (which is fab by the way) one of our absolute favorite letterpress designers, Two Paperdolls, has stopped by for the end all be all of giveaway goodness. Who doesn’t love a gorgeous letterpress invitation, a perfectly chic place card or the loveliest of lovely thank you notes? We happen to adore all of the above and this is only the tip of the iceberg of gorgeous paper coming out of Two Paperdolls letterpress and design house. Beautifully designed, effortlessly chic and perfectly executed, these paper goods are seriously the end all be all. And just wait until you hear what they are gifting one lucky duck.

We can not get enough of all of the perfect little details that go in to each and every invitation suite. Beautiful seriously does not even begin to describe these beauties. Whether you are planning an intimate beach wedding or a huge ballroom soiree, Two Paperdolls has just the design to announce your wedding in style.

So if you aren’t completely and totally swooning yet, we have a feeling you will be in about two seconds when we tell you that one lucky reader is going to win $400 towards anything letterpress at Two Paperdolls. How’s that for a Monday morning pick-me-up? And it is so, so so very easy to enter. Simply leave a comment letting us know what you want your invitations to say about your wedding. Told you it was easy! We’ll announce a winner chosen at random on Friday, November 5th. Good luck!

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

So you’re engaged. Yipee! You’ve got the ring, check. The dreamy fiance, check. The perfect venue, check, check, and more checks. Now comes the fun part…dress shopping! Oh the dresses, the gorgeous, gorgeous dresses. This is by far, one of our favorite parts of wedding planning but sometimes a little thing called the dreaded budget can get in the way of your dream gown. Well, we’re going to fill you in on a fabulous secret…PreOwned Wedding Dresses.

This curated collection of frocks is an excellent resource  for finding the dress you’ve always wanted at a fraction of the cost. Think Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier at prices that won’t eat up your entire wedding budget. Fabulous, right? And with over 6,000 dresses to choose from, you are bound to find the love of your life or two or three.

We positively adore their collection of goodies. Plus PreOwned Wedding Dresses is set up with the easiest of navigation. Search by designer, keyword, size, price, or location to find EXACTLY what you’re looking for. And get this, one of our absolute favorite features is their “New Dress Alerts“. So smart! This fabulous little tool allows you to sign up to be notified instantly when the dress you are looking for is posted for sale.

Whether you are searching for your dream dress at a fraction of the cost or wanting to pass along your perfect gown for another bride to enjoy, PreOwned Wedding Dresses is the go to spot. But be forewarned, with so much loveliness in one spot, you could be perusing for hours.

I know we are all a little cuckoo around here, but as we say au revoir to yet another week of pretty posts, gorgeous brides and heart melting nuptials, we are ever so secretly wishing for the weekend to whiz by. Why you ask? Despite the fact that we truly enjoy our rest and relaxation that the weekends provide, we have an eagerly anticipated wedding of one of our very own to showcase next week and to say that it is the epitome of loveliness is a complete understatement. It is perfection wrapped up in one freaking gorgeous package. We can’t spill the beans just yet but a little sneak peek never hurt anyone. Enjoy your weekend lovelies!

a tid bit of lovely coming at ya next week straight out of Rhode Island from uber talent Olive Juice Photography

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

Glamorous style in St. Louis
Sneak Peek at Bridal Market in NYC
A Martha beach wedding in Mexico
Organic, elegance in New Mexico
North Carolina dairy farm wedding with sweet style
To Maryland for another blissful farm affair
Rain didn’t stop these gorgeous I-do’s in Oregon
Ditto in beautiful Banff
Show stopping San Ysidro Ranch wedding here and here
Plus we tracked down all the goodies to get the look
A whole day of adorable weddings from coast to coast
And last but not least, So Cal succulent perfection here, here, AND here

Fun links from around the web:

One more week of October… make sure to think pink … via Paper Moss
Seriously cute stop motion video … via design*sponge
Gilt opened the doors to their The Wedding Shop.
More chic, less scary… Halloween wedding … via The Sweetest Occasion
Tote-ally DIY… adorable welcome/gift bags for your guests… via How About Orange
Perfect pumpkin cupcakes … via Good Life Eats

Enjoy! XOXO

Just when we thought today’s feature couldn’t possibly get any better, we were TOTALLY proven wrong. Julie Hill, 1/2 of the duo behind the famed cinema studio Elysium, sent over THIS clip. But before you dive in, here are some supplies to keep handy. A big box of tissues for the tears, a pen and paper for all of the ideas you’re going to want to steal, a quiet room so your boss doesn’t come in and bug you and a nice cup of coffee (or wine if that’s more your style). Julie’s interpretation of Bianca and Matt’s wedding is beyond beautiful. And having had the privilege of getting to know Elysium really well over the last couple of years, we can honestly say this is one of their best yet!

If you are dying to see more from this wedding, click here to see the full gallery!

Thank you so very much to Bianca and Matt for sharing their beautiful wedding with us. And to Jasmine Star and Julie Hill of Elysium for choosing SMP to share the day with.

Photography: Jasmine Star and Stephanie Fay / Cinematography: Elysium Productions / Flowers: Heavenly Blooms / Event Design: Events of Love and Splendor, Heavenly Blooms, Found Vintage Rentals / Event Planning: Events of Love and Splendor / Event Decor/Rentals:  Found Vintage Rentals / Ceremony Location: Sunstone Winery, Santa Ynez, CA / Reception Location:  Root 246 / Invitations:  DIY / Shoes:  Christian Louboutin / Dress: Pronovias / Desserts:  Solvang Bakery / DJ:  Jeff Kishi, Kingdom Productions

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

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It’s so great to see a wedding like today’s featured affair. Full of rich, warm hues. A cozy but fabulously elegant style. Layer upon layer of beauty with textures and colors that seem to be both timeless and undeniably chic at the same time. And yet it isn’t surprising in the slightest, considering the bride behind this beautiful affair is Jasmine Star’s gorgeous sister, Bianca. Jasmine has been behind the lens of some of SMP’s most loved weddings (like this one and this one) so we are beyond thrilled that she chose SMP to debut this jaw-droppingly beautiful, and so so special day. Photographed by Jasmine and Stephanie Fay, this is definitely going down in the SMP Best-Ofs. Click here to see the whole affair.

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

The wedding was held at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez, California because of the amazing cuvee cave on site, vintage portico, and bountiful vineyard rows. The mix of vintage and modern elements, rented from the FOUND vintage collection, created an eclectic feel that came together in both our wedding location and reception site. The reception was at Bradley Ogden’s Root246 restaurant near the winery. Mixing a very modern restaurant with the old-world aesthetic of Sunstone was a challenge. But the theme helped tie the venues together.

Originally we were going to have a beachside wedding in the Mexican Riviera so I bought a simple dress. But when we had to change our locations, I was forced to find a dress in a short timespan. Thankfully on my one (and only) dress appointment, I found my Pronovias dress! It was layered (which played off the succulents), ivory in color, and effortlessly dramatic. Befitting for the theme and my personality

We wanted to have an invitation that displayed our location, theme, and venue. We found small wooden boxes, varnished them, and used them as mini wine bottle containers. The wine label doubled as an invitation complete with our wedding logo, website, and image of the vineyard we were to be married at.

Heavenly Blooms was the florist who took translated my theme so beautifully. She patiently helped me craft my vision and took my design requirements to the next level. I wanted to intertwine vintage pieces, so Jaclyne and I hunted for antique gold vases, candlesticks, and containers to use during the ceremony and reception. We cleared out every vintage shop and thrift store in our area but found amazing unique pieces which made every table eclectically cohesive and unique. Succulents accented EVERYTHING. From the aisle, to the communion table, to the dessert bar, and the reception site, beautiful succulents mixe with elderberries, gardenias, burgundy peonies, and dinnerplate dalias filled the bouquets, boutonierres, and centerpieces. The escort card “table” was my favorite design element. Allison and Jenni from FOUND had a riddling rack for wine bottles. I asked if we could do a standing escort table and use the holes for floral arrangements and name cards. The end product was amazing!

On the menu, we started with Artisan breads and cheeses, tuna tar tar with a confee sauce, salmon ceviche with an avocado mousse. The First Course was Maytag bleu cheese soufflé with summer salad, followed by a Shrimp Fritta with Grilled Corn Soup. Our main course was Shaked Chicken, whipped crème fraiche, fuji apples or Prime Rib Eye Steak with market vegetables, root potato gratin. YUM!

But I have to say, that even among all of these wonderful details, the most special part of the day was having my father and Matt’s best friend marry us in front of 50 of the most amazing people in our lives. Even though my father forgot to exchange the rings during the vows, it provided comical relief when we walked back down the aisle to give each other our rings.

Photography: Jasmine Star and Stephanie Fay / Cinematography: Elysium Productions / Flowers: Heavenly Blooms / Event Design: Events of Love and Splendor, Heavenly Blooms, Found Vintage Rentals / Event Planning: Events of Love and Splendor / Event Decor/Rentals:  Found Vintage Rentals / Ceremony Location: Sunstone Winery, Santa Ynez, CA / Reception Location:  Root 246 / Invitations:  DIY / Shoes:  Christian Louboutin / Dress: Pronovias / Desserts:  Solvang Bakery / DJ:  Jeff Kishi, Kingdom Productions

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

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The luckiest of lucky brides have sisters that are one of the most sought after photographers on the planet. Photographers who have had their hands in the prettiest weddings of all time. Such is the case with today’s absolutely, holy-cow gorgeous bride Bianca. Whose sister just happens to be the forever talented Jasmine Star…photographer to some of the loveliest weddings we’ve ever seen and a general super star on SMP. And kids, when I tell you we weren’t disappointed, I’m pretty much giving the understatement of the century. Photographed by Stephanie Fay and Jasmine herself, Bianca’s wedding was a study in all things beautiful with details that were both totally original and a style that will knock the socks off even the most discerning wedding guru (like yourselves). We have LOTS of goodness coming up but if you simply can’t stand the wait, click right here.

If you can’t wait for Part II, click right here!

Matt and I met through eHarmony, a dating website my twin sister encouraged me to go on. My final excuse was that it was too expensive… so she paid for my membership. After three unsuccessful months of matches unfruitful of even a date, I met Matt and decided on our second date I wanted to marry him.

It was my pending 30th birthday and Matt seemed so detached and disinterested in planning anything for a momentous year of my birth. After several intense conversations and feeling of apathy, I contemplated breaking up with him because I felt like he didn’t know me. But worse, he didn’t know how to love me. All the while he was planning a deluxe proposal with printed book, surprise date, methodically mapped out proposal location, and even a family birthday dinner to celebrate our proposal AND 30th birthday. Needless to say, I didn’t break up with him.

Love Succulently was the theme created for our wedding. My full name means white flower, which represents love. Matt is reminiscent of a succulent; layered, intricate, understated, and enduring. The theme was a natural manifestation of who we are. To accent our day, we had eclectic vintage pieces throughout the ceremony and reception representing timeless love and enduring faith. Mixed with modern décor elements, the event played off the design elements of our ceremony and reception location. Our colors were vanilla, chocolate, merlot, and sage.

SO much more to come!

Photography: Jasmine Star and Stephanie Fay / Cinematography: Elysium Productions / Flowers: Heavenly Blooms / Event Design: Events of Love and Splendor, Heavenly Blooms, Found Vintage Rentals / Event Planning: Events of Love and Splendor / Event Decor/Rentals:  Found Vintage Rentals / Ceremony Location: Sunstone Winery, Santa Ynez, CA / Reception Location:  Root 246 / Invitations:  DIY / Shoes:  Christian Louboutin / Dress: Pronovias / Desserts:  Solvang Bakery / DJ:  Jeff Kishi, Kingdom Productions

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

View Portfolio

Happy Friday to all!  We’re going to make a quick get-away, a little early today. You see, October in Texas may not have the brilliant leaves of New England, but we have some pretty awesome ‘golden days’ of autumn anyway! So we will say a quick so-long ’til next week and leave you with this glimpse of one of Carla Ten Eyck’s (New England) weddings. Margy and Mike’s New Haven, Connecticut summer celebration is featured ~ at length ~ on Carla’s blog … the pretty-in-pink bridesmaids, Margy’s stunning wedding gown, the handsome groom in uniform, and of course Carla’s keen eye for the expected and unexpected moments that will forever be cherished!

photography by Carla Ten Eyck, Mike Romano and Rebecca Hales

See and hear ALL about Margy and Mike’s beautiful day right here on Carla Ten Eyck’s blog !

And have a super weekend!