Abby and Tait were married in August 2005 at the magnificent Old South Church in Boston. I love the expression on Tait’s face as he sees Abby walking toward him. I’ve seen him look at her like this many times since then, but this time … was the best.

The majority of Abby and Tait’s family live in Massachusetts.  An August wedding in her home town, Houston, would have been out of the question. Everyone in Massachusetts assured us that by the end of August, it would definitely have started cooling off. An unairconditioned church would be no problem … wrong.  This beautiful church was so hot.

Abby had several special touches during her wedding. Her cousin read a love poem written by her aunt who had passed away from breast cancer. A dear friend of hers sang the “Irish Wedding Song”… that brought us all to tears. Abby allowed me to select most of the music, because classical music was such a huge part of my memories of her grandfather. But probably the most special thing that she did was to present me with a lace handkerchief to carry, that was made from the lace on her gown… she’s quite a girl!

We found Abby’s great make-up Artist, Lynne Avallone, through Abby’s cousin Kristine. Kristine is a fabulous hair-stylist. She and Lynne frequently work together at weddings in the Boston area. I think Abby was most worried about her hair. She — kind of knew what she wanted — but couldn’t totally express it. She didn’t need to worry. Kristine read her like a book and Abby loved it! Kristine and Lynne made us all feel beautiful!

Abby’s bridal party included her sisters, Tait’s sisters, her best friend from home, and many of her friends from Vanderbilt. As we waited in the church library before the ceremony, they all broke into a lively rendition of “Going to the chapel … !” Apparently it’s a Vanderbilt-friend’s rite of passage to sing this right before the walk down the aisle.

Abby and her husband are taking a well-deserved day off after a speaking engagement at Vanderbilt. Since I have carte-blanche on both the SMP Blog and the Little Black Book Blog, I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you just a bit about Abby and Tait.(Abby, if you’re reading this, breathe!)

Abby and Tait both attended Vanderbilt University, he a few years ahead of her. She knew ‘of’ him and he of her, but they didn’t really know each other personally until a few years later. They both ended up in San Francisco and officially ‘met’ through mutual Vanderbilt friends. It was one of those romantic ‘their eyes locked from across the room’ kind of thing … and the rest is history!

Two years later, we were planning their Boston wedding long distance between California, Texas and Massachusetts. That is when her passion for all-things-wedding began. She’s always loved pretty things, but pretty weddings became her passion. All of her wedding vendors were chosen via the web. If they didn’t have a great website, she kept looking and researching. In 2005, choosing wedding professionals via the internet was a little more difficult than today. But that’s what we did. If their website didn’t pass the test, we moved along. We still interviewed and got references and looked at previous work, but because it was a ‘destination wedding’ for us … most work was done via phone calls and emails. When all things were said and done, Abby and Tait did have their dream-come-true wedding, and Abby made the bold decision to transition from creating wedding invitations to writing a wedding blog. And that, in a nutshell, was the inception of Style Me Pretty!

Before we go any further, I thought I’d share a few of Abby’s passions… bunches of tulips, all-white eclectic decor, a great pair of blue jeans, a great white t-shirt, three four inch heels (my mistake, Abby), gummi candy, a good old-fashioned Texas thunderstorm, being on time, black & white photography … and of course, now Audrey & Tait.

And Tait? He’s practical yet generous. Quiet but opinionated. His passion? Hmmmm… a good cup of hot tea, the Patriots & Celtics, chocolate, computer-talk, and of course, his girls — Abby, Audrey and Chloe (their dog).

I’ll be posting lots more photos from Abby’s wedding throughout the day … (sorry Daria, I owe you one!).
I’ll ask her to check on any questions you might have on Monday.

Where you can find some of the most beautiful invitations you’ve ever seen, without leaving your own home! And if the weather where you live, is anywhere like the weather where I live (think, shoveling snow off your car only to freeze your rear-end off when you sit down inside), this is a really good thing. They carry some of my favorite brands like Mr. Boddington, Cat Seto, Paper + Cup, Wiley Valentine, Elum and now Ceci New York!

With your mind consumed by the myriad other planning details, don’t forget the most important one: the marriage license. States have different requirements for medical tests, payment methods, and waiting periods, so don’t leave this till the last minute.  Brought to you by bridalguide.com. And, check out Style Me Pretty’s style tips on Bridal Guide!

We are so happy to have shown you Janell Berte’s 2009 Spring Collection of Couture Wedding Gowns today! If you’ve missed any of the posts, you have to go back and take a look.  They are truly stunning!

And now to Stacie’s wedding. The Real Wedding of a Berté Bride …

Stacie and Matt were married on October 4th at HollyHedge Estate in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

We asked Stacie to tell us about her search for her wedding dress.

from Stacie …

I began my dress search online trying to find the style I wanted. After trying on a handful of dresses at several shops, my mom and I went to a trunk show for another designer to try on what I thought would be the perfect dress. When I got there I realized it was not for me. The sales woman then decided to show me some other similar dresses, one of which was a Janell Berte’ design. As soon as I put Janell’s dress on I fell in love with it. I asked if they had any more of her dresses and unfortunately, they did not.  As soon as I got home I went back to my computer, and to my surprise, the bridal shop in my town, A Beautiful Bride, carried her entire line. I was ecstatic and called them immediately for an appointment. I went in and tried on 2 of her dresses, first the one I tried on previously. Then I tried on “The One”, Bliss. The dress was absolutely breathtaking and so simply elegant I knew I must have it. They were having a trunk show a few weeks later so I came back at that time to meet Janell and purchase my dress. It was fantastic to work with Janell, she is so personable and down to earth, and made my decision that much easier. I bought the dress of my dreams that day and never once did I second guess my choice. On my wedding day I felt like the perfect princess bride.

Gorgeous Bride. Gorgeous Fall Wedding. Gorgeous Gown!

Congratulations Stacie & Matt, and a huge thank-you to Kris Rupp Photography for sharing these wonderful photos!

Janell’s 2009 Spring Collection and other Couture gowns are pictured on her website. We are so honored to have Janell in our Little Black Book of Very Important Wedding Vendors!

For those of you who have already selected your gown or those who just need more REAL WEDDING eye-candy, head over to the Little Black Book Blog where we’re featuring a bold and beautiful Moroccan-inspired wedding in Arizona from Katrina and Andrew of Sedona Bride Photography.

We tried something new, yesterday on The Little Black Book Blog. We added to the posts through-out the day. Just in case you didn’t get to see them all, we’ll hold off on adding another featured wedding for a bit. Tara & Micah’s wedding colors are jaw-droppingly beautiful! The details and the stunning photography was provided by the very talented Katrina + Andrew of Sedona Bride.

The Story From Katrina and Andrew, Sedona Bride:

Tara and Micah are both anthropologists and share a love of Morocco. That proved to be the inspiration for their magnificent wedding décor. A semi-traditional Jewish ceremony was held underneath an Aspen-wood chuppah. Decorative etched and colored glass votives with palm leaves adorned the cocktail tables and fireplace. Brilliantly colored Moroccan style sock lamps hung on the perimeter of the cocktail hour terrace. Metal Moroccan lanterns added warmth and ambience to the already beautiful space. A signature engagement book with images taken by Sedona Bride was proudly displayed. Table centerpieces consisted of decorative lamps, colored-glass votives, spices, citrus fruits and flowers typical of Morocco, all sprinkled liberally around the center … and uniquely shaped perfume bottles with elaborate cork tops. Tables were named after cities in Morocco (Rabat, Marrakesh, Merzouga,etc.). Their guests favors were stunning traditional Moroccan perfume bottles. All of the fabulous décor and florals were designed by Events by Showstoppers. The cake … oooh the cake … details were made by pressing an eastern fabric textile pattern stamp onto soft cake fondant, and then hand-painted with edible cake paint. The cake was enveloped in a Moroccan-style tent/canopy.

Sedona Bride Photography: Tara and Micah, Part I

Wedding and Celebration were held at  L’Auberge de Sedona this past spring.

Sedona Bride Photography: Tara and Micah, Part II

Tara and Micah were married on May 18th, 2008. Family and friends came to Sedona from literally all over the world. Because Tara has spent so much time in Morocco, the cocktail hour and reception followed an amazing Moroccan theme. Just stepping into the reception area was like entering a new world, with amazing and vibrant colors! The fabulous Liz Margin worked her magic on the makeup. Andrea Blaut made the **amazing** Moroccan style cake. Jim, Ken, and their team at Events by Showstoppers made the chuppah for the ceremony, and orchestrated the fabulous Moroccan themed floral and decor for the cocktail hour and reception.

Sedona Bride Photography: Tara and Micah, Part III

Sedona Bride Photography: Tara and Micah, Part IV

Sedona Bride Photography: Tara and Micah, Part V

Remember that I said, “jaw-droppingly beautiful”? Look at this cake …

… hand-painted by Andrea at Sedona Cake Couture.

Events by Showstoppers lived up to their name at Tara & Micah’s wedding reception!

Sedona Bride Photography: Tara and Micah, Part VI

How great is this wedding!

Thank you Katrina and Andrew for sharing these magnificent photos with us! For more Sedona Bride weddings, head on over to their website and blog.

Here are a few more of their stunning weddings!

(And remember, lots of our weddings are posted in a series … so be sure to check the ‘Related’ links right underneath the titles.)

Cathedral Rock Wedding

Sedona Bride Wedding: Pink Week

India Inspired Wedding

Janell Berté designs wedding gowns with real brides … Style Me Pretty-ish brides in mind! That doesn’t mean that there is any lack of drama, sophistication, or high style. Quite the contrary. For those brides who want to work personally with Ms. Berté, the private salon and workshop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the ideal spot to collaborate! Just look at these gowns …

LOVE the photography (Little Black Book member,  Jeremy Hess)

I adore everything about these gowns!

We have a Real Wedding and a Real Berte’ Bride coming up … so please check back in a bit …

This design from the 2009 Spring Collection of Janell Berté is named Chantel.

photography by Nick Gould and Cindi Dixon

Janell Berte’s couture wedding dresses and gowns can be found in select bridal salons around the states. She currently has a trunk show in West Hartford, Connecticut at the Camille Bridal Boutique. The exact dates, address and phone numbers can be found on Janell’s website. Be sure to call ahead to schedule an appointment. Janell will be in attendance at many of the trunk shows. Shows are also scheduled at Katherine’s Bridal Boutique in Alexandria VA (late February), The Wedding Shoppe in Wayne PA (early March), and Tie The Knot in Naples FL (mid-March)

More from Janell to come …

Today, we’re featuring the 2009 Spring Collection of fashion designer, Janell Berté.

In a recent interview with her, I asked how she defines her wedding gown design aesthetic. Her answer was swift and straight-forward … “clean lines and luscious fabrics that incorporate french lace and decorative accents.”

I think, though, that the most significant thing Janell told me was that she designs for real brides with real figures and real curves.

Each of Janell’s gowns has a definite personality, a definite style. Once created, each gown will prompt the unfolding of a young lady’s dream-come-true wedding day.

We’ll be back with a few of our favorite gowns from Janell’s Couture Collection …

And if you’ve already selected your gown, head on over to The Little Black Book Blog for a stunning, classic Illinois wedding from Jeffrey and Julia Woods Photography. A little later today, we’ll be featuring another dazzling Real Wedding From Andrew and Katrina at Sedona Brides on the Little Black Book Blog!

Today, one of my favorite writers in the whole world is going to be guest blogging for me. I am actually in Nashville at my alma mater, Vanderbilt, speaking at an alumni event. Needless to say, I am beyond thrilled that Vanderbilt has asked me to do this. It’s an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up! But, I didn’t want to leave you hanging — so Eddye, from The Little Black Book Blog, is going to be sharing some Spring ’09 wedding dresses from Janell Berté … one of our ridiculously stylish LBB designers!  xoxo ABBY

Wedding dresses! We ALL love looking at wedding dresses. We all LOVE spring collections of wedding dresses. That is why today is such a lovely day! Believe it or not, the snow and ice that is slamming much of the country will melt and spring WILL arrive. What better way to spend a few minutes brightening up your day than oohh-ing and aahh-ing over the 2009 Spring Collection from Janell Berté. We have the distinct pleasure of saying that Janell — an award winning couture dress designer — is one of the founding members of Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book.  Janell’s private bridal studio and workshop is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Brides from as far away as New York City and Baltimore have traveled to her salon to work with her in fashioning their very own, perfect, dream-come-true wedding dress.

The Spring 2009 Collection from Janell Berté …

photography by Nick Gould

I spoke with Janell a few days ago and found her to be absolutely delightful. Very approachable. Very enthusiastic about her designs (her ‘babies’)! I asked if she had a favorite design from her 2009 collection and she replied that it would be impossible to name just one. Her gowns are her babies and each stands on it’s own merits. She loves them all.

We’ll be back in a bit with more …

It’s my favorite magazine in the whole world. It’s the only thing that I EVER wait by the mailbox for, coffee cup in hand, knowing that the next hour is going to be heaven. It’s the reason that I love design, love all things beautiful (well one of the reasons, at least). And Domino Magazine is closing their doors. Goodbye, Domino. I love you forever and ever.

To help make sure your photographer captures everyone you want, write out the names of key people to be pictured and delegate a friend or relative to point them out to the photographer. Brought to you by bridalguide.com. And, check out Style Me Pretty’s style tips on Bridal Guide!

Thank you so very much to Halli and Nick for sharing their big day with us…it’s inspired modern dreams and chic, smart wedding ideas! And to Belathee for sending us the absolutely beautiful photographs. They are without a doubt, stunning.

If any of you would like to contact Halli about her fabulous sense of style, her invitations or anything else from her gorgeous wedding….you can email her directly at halli (at) goodwifey.com!

And finally, don’t forget to check out the fun offer that Stacy of Pancake & Franks is gifting SMP readers!

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

The gorgeous bride, Halli, from today’s featured wedding has stopped by to share a few of the FAB details with us…

From Halli…

From the get-go we knew we were going to throw a wedding centered around our passion + profession—design. Since much of a wedding’s experience and “brand” is centered around the location, we quickly started our venue research. Finding a modern design/architecture-inspired venue in LA for a wedding reception shouldn’t be that hard right? Wrong! For bride-elects who dream of a wedding at the beach, amongst California-Spanish style architecture, or at a hotel/country club, LA provides many wonderful options. However, to obtain a super modern venue we had to do some serious research and site visits.

Thankfully we landed on the Walt Disney Concert Hall + Our Lady of the Angles Cathedral. Both of these locations are breathtaking architectural highlights in the Downtown LA skyline and were incidentally five blocks from each other. How cool was it to say we were hosting our wedding in a Frank Gehry building?!

Most of the design details fell into place after our venues were selected. We relied heavily on style boards throughout the process to further set the mood. Thankfully our spaces were so inspiring as-is, we didn’t have to worry about trying to dress them up to much. Less is more + we let the spaces speak for themselves.

We spent about three months establishing invite and visual design options. For the final solution we ended up using the “+” sign. It served as hard working typographic element, graphic texture when used as a pattern and offered a slight conceptual nod at our last name’s initial…the letter T. With a color palette of Black, Gray, Green and White, here are some of the decor elements that we included to complete our vision…

+ Black leather couches + ottoman lounge / Black chivari chairs and cushions in our reception area / White square chargers to compliment the look

+Dark silver, textured taffeta linens with black taffeta napkins by Tabella

+Black + white candy bar

+Guest wish tree in a hydrangea filled box surrounded by black + white family wedding photos

+Cucumber margarita station and mariachi band for cocktail hour

+DIY black wood cake plateau (my dad made it…just a wood box painted black!)

For our centerpieces, we used phalaenopsis orchids, magnolia leaf, mossy green and horsetail. We had various other arrangements in white hydrangeas, white lily of the valley, horsetail and greens. It was beautiful!

* * *

Other quick notes…Halli and Nick conceptualized and designed the wedding from the paper up. They had help from Evolution Press in Seattle to do their our letterpress and Anne Robin out of New York to do their calligraphy. Their wedding coordinator, Kristin Banta, helped us to execute their vision and work with them to have a seamless day!

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

More eye candy from today’s featured wedding!

Aside from the incredible style behind this wedding (which was crafted by the gorgeous bride, along with planner Kristin Banta), it’s the photography by Belathee that I am totally in love with. Each image is so simple, so uncluttered. And, yet beautiful enough to grace any wall in any home. LOVE.

The wedding was held Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles (Jose Rafael Moneo is the architect). As I mentioned earlier, the reception was held at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles (BP Hall designed by Frank Gehry) with the cocktail hour in the Blue Ribbon Garden. The lighting was done by Dyal Productions.

More details on the way!

{Click here to see the full gallery!}

Today we are featuring the most gorgeous, modern wedding I’ve seen in a long time. With both the bride and groom as designers, it seems that every tiny detail was crafted to perfection. I am hoping Halli, the lovely bride, will stop by today to answer questions and share her vision with us, but until then, I thought you guys might like to see even more of the stunning photographs…

all photographs by the lovely and talented girls at Belathee

SWOOOON. That cake, designed by the bride/groom and crafted by Patina,  is enough to make me want to get married again, with its sleek, contemporary lines and perfect orchid accessories. The flowers were crafted by Stacy Martin. I love that they took the “+” accent, threading it through every detail but in the most subtle of ways. It’s that one special something that ties everything together. So beautifully done.

A little about the fashions…the bride’s gown is by Jenny Lee an her beautiful hair accessory was designed by Debra Moreland. The bridesmaids wore JCrew dresses.

More to come!

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

Loving today’s featured wedding that Annabel and Dorothee from Belathee sent us…

The event was planned by Kristin Banta, who infused the couple’s fabulous style into every detail. From the incredible cake to the sleek, vintage car…every element was thoughtfully designed and executed.

For those of you that are loving the beautiful flower girl pictures, her dress was purchased at Pegeen.

{To see the full gallery, click here!}

Does anyone else feel like they have a split personality when it comes to weddings? Sometimes, I fall in love with the simple, rustic chic style that we feature so often on SMP. Others, it’s the clean, white washed beach weddings. Well, today, it’s this absolutely gorgeous, contemporary affair that the girls at Belathee sent me!

It’s chic. That’s all that needs to be said. It’s so so SO chic. Much more to come, so stay tuned!

{Click here to see the entire gallery!}

We feature so many outdoor, rustic/elegant style weddings that when I get a submission from a modern affair…well, I usually do a little dance. And, when the modern affair is as ridiculously chic as today’s featured wedding, well…the little dance turns into a pretty big one.

The unbelievably talented girls at Belathee sent me this wedding which was planned by Kristin Banta and took place at the incredible Walt Disney Concert Hall…

Halli and Nick are both designers thus they approached their wedding with a unique perspective, crafting all of the paper goods and accouturements themselves. I am not kidding you, this wedding was SPECTACULAR. Just wait until you see all of the details…we are updating hourly today, so make sure to check back often!

{To see the full gallery, click here!}