We are chatting today with Lisa Hoffman of Ceci New York…she’s giving us a peek into the monograms that she has crafted for her clients. For Lisa, it’s all about creating a wedding brand. Something that reflects your unique personalities, your unique style, your unique approach to life.

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Here are a few more of my favorite monograms…

Take inspiration from your venue and wedding theme. The monogram below was inspired by a winter wedding in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Fun playful C & D letters and criss-cross skis gave a nod to old ski
lodges. I threw the beaver in there as a play on Beaver Creek for fun.

For those of you who think crests are too fussy and prefer to take a cleaner route, try experimenting with your initials in a more unexpected way. I created structure by encircling the letters with circles and lines. U for their new last name is in script symbolizing their union.

Or try your full names and wedding date in the circle. I particularly love this one – the elephant was their favorite animal, symbolizing strength and true self. I added a W on his blanket representing their new last name together.

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I am kind of obsessed with the elephant. I am thinking that I might want that to be my family brand. It’s just so strong and yet it has a hint of whimsy that I love. More to come from Lisa of Ceci New York!

Lisa Hoffman of Ceci New York is here guest blogging about something that I know so many brides are really curious about…monograms. Monograms are a beautiful way to bring cohesiveness to your wedding style, to infuse your look with your own personal stamp. And Lisa’s monograms are about as good as they get!

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With my background in corporate identity and branding strategies, I can’t help but apply the power of branding to my invitation designs. Personalization plays a major component to your wedding so let it start with your wedding “brand”. Monograms are the perfect way to start your brand style.

An Important Side Note: Keep things consistent in your wedding stationery – remember fonts and colors also contribute to your branding look and feel so once you select yours keep them consistent throughout all your wedding stationery suite. By always delivering a consistent strong message, your guests will not only be impressed but they will feel comforted knowing they’re in the right place.

I love creating special crest monograms for couples. Here is a peek at some of my all time favorite wedding brands…

Arden and Dan are comedians and had a winter wedding in a barn in Vermont. They didn’t want to spare any humorous details so their crest (as grand as it looks) is chalked full of funny details that captured the couple perfectly. Beavers and porcupines wouldn’t be your automatic first thought for a wedding logo but I love the way this one came out!

This one is for a Fisher Island wedding in Florida complete with Flamingos, palm trees and sea shells for the fabulous Floridian flair. After the couple married, I changed the wording in the banner to reflect their new married names and it lived on as their brand for life.

Think of your cultures and background – those elements are perfect to bring into your logos. In the one below, the groom was American and the Bride Australian. The Eagle and Kangaroo at top represented their
two backgrounds coming together. In the center is their initials adorned with a decorative frame to pull it all together.

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I love the idea of creating a brand for life…something that can grace Christmas cards and wax seals. Something that can always represent the foundation to which you built your life upon. Love that. So much more to come from Lisa Hoffman of Ceci New York!

These perfect little creations by Cake Opera Co. have made the blog rounds time and time again…but, I just couldn’t help myself. Can you imagine the work that goes into crafting each one of these cakes? Inspired by operas, by French linens, by whimsical boutiques on crooked streets in Venice…they are simply magical.

A couple of weeks ago we debuted the first of Peculiar Pair’s brand spanking new online collection, along with the HUGE news that SMP readers are being offered a 50% discount on each of these new designs! Today, we get to reveal four more of their absolutely beautiful new invitations! The first, is called Henna…

I love the scroll work, the kind of culturally inspired touches that totally take this look to a new level. Next is the oh-so-gorgeous Vintage Travel…

The photos to the right show just how beautifully designed each piece is. There is NOTHING like good letterpress, it screams luxury. The next gorgeous invitation from the new collection is called Seaside Coast and although it’s so new, they haven’t had a chance to shoot pictures, you can tell that it will be completely fabulous in print…

And finally, my personal fav from today’s foursome…Cosmos!

LOVE! There is just something so beautiful about Peculiar Pair’s invitations. They have this perfect balance of timeless style with a modern charm that really sets them apart. And to be perfectly honest, pictures hardly do their designs justice. They are printed on the most beautiful paper…with deep letterpress impressions, gorgeous inks and flawless design. You’d think that I was working for them, but no…I just really love their invitations!

Next week, we’ll reveal the next set from Peculiar Pair’s newest collection!

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If you are interested in this fabulous offer please email info@peculiarpairpress.com . Don’t forget to put “SMP offer” in the subject line as well as what invitation you are interested in and the girls at Peculiar Pair Press will contact you!

I had just a few more fun details from Nicole and Grant’s gorgeous DIY wedding that I wanted to share with you…

all photographs by the lovely and talented Lauren Brooks (whose wedding we are featuring on Thursday!7

From Nicole…

We combined favors and placecards. My husband proposed to me while we were on a roadtrip and stopped to hike in the Grand Tetons (it was amazingly beautiful). When we were leaving the park we wanted something that we could keep to remember that day, but was also useful. We decided to each pick a bookmark.

Months later I spent lots of time on the phone meticulously describing the bookmarks – I found an incredibly patient woman who was willing to special order me 50 of each bookmark. We wrapped these in cardstock so they could serve as the placecard too.

Our table name cards might be one of my favorite parts of our wedding. We wanted each table to be named after a building at the University of Oregon (where we both attended and met). Our stationery designer had me take a photo of each building and applied an effect that made them look like sketches. We stuck the cards in wire card holders my mom made using directions from Martha Stewart.com.

For our guest book I really wanted a quilt. We had each guest sign a square of muslin. A gracious bridesmaid took on the task of cutting all the fabric and sewing it together after the wedding.

Other things I made – embroidered hoodies for each bridesmaid, an embroidered patch with our wedding date and my married monogram for inside my dress, embroidered hand towels for the bathrooms, my jewelery and all four bridesmaids’ jewelery.

WOW. Thank you so much, Nicole, for sharing your incredible wedding with us. It reminds us that a gorgeous, elegant wedding that was designed on a budget can still look and feel incredibly expensive. Thank you for inspiring us!

If you haven’t already checked out the Little Black Book Blog today, the featured Winter wedding is….INSANELY gorgeous.

If you thought that Nicole and Grant’s wedding was gorgeous, wait until you see their reception. It’s full of surprises, full of thoughtful details, full of great family and friends, great wine and great food.

Oh and that first picture…well, that is the picture that made me get down on my hands and knees and BEG for more pictures of this wedding. It’s bliss.

all photographs by the lovely and talented Lauren Brooks

From Nicole, the gorgeous bride…

Our tight budget encouraged out of the box thinking when it came to catering. A few years ago an acquaintance had attended a wedding that served pizza. We love gourmet pizza so I began researching some options. Living two hours from our venue made this difficult, but I ended up finding a Pizzicato owner who was willing to work with me. It was a big risk – he had never catered an event of our size (100ppl), but the price was right. Being detail oriented helped me in getting every little thing into a contract. And the food turned out perfectly – it was all delicious and hot. Our guests thought it was a great idea (we are a pretty casual bunch).

A wedding cake was never something I dreamed of so I ignored everyone who told me it would be too much to do it ourselves and did it. I made a 10-inch lemon poppyseed with raspberry cake for us to cut and brownies, lemon bars, and cupcakes for our guests. Our cake topper consisted of a $3 thrifted bride and groom and crepe paper flowers I made using a Martha Stewart kit (I had used these as my bouquet at the rehearsal). I had seen the mini bride and groom picks in a featured wedding on Style Me Pretty and couldn’t resist – we hand painted the hair and flowers on all 100. We placed our desserts on trays we made using thrifted plates, glasses, and candlesticks.

For our bar, I rented two cocktail tables and we had family friends pour wine. We had barrels of ice and bottled local microbrews (and corona – a nod to our honeymoon) for guests to serve themselves.

The whole reception was fantastic – I don’t think I left the dance floor. I have had many guests tell me it was the most fun they had had in years. All the work and effort is worth it because of that and the fact that we ended up married.

A few more fun details are on their way!

If you’ve been drooling over today’s featured wedding, like I’ve been, you’ll love this next set of photos. The bride, Nicole, was so completely hands-on…bringing their own personal touches to literally every single element. This wedding is perfection.

From the bride…

Our ceremony was perfect. I walked down the aisle to our song – God Only Knows by The Beach Boys – with my step dad and dad. Our officiant was a friend and mentor whom we know through the university department in which we met. It was amazing to have someone who we respect and admire marry us. Although writing our vows was incredibly challenging, I am so glad we did. They were so personal and meaningful. We also had friends read an EE Cummings poem and included a statement that outlined how dependent our marriage is on the support of our friends and family.

Probably my biggest stress while planning the wedding was choosing a photographer – I am photo obsessed and needed to be confident that I would have no doubts. I spent 1/4 of our budget on photography and it was SOOO worth it. Lauren Brooks was perfect – professional, but approachable and great at what she does.

So much more to come…oh and Lauren Brooks, Nicole’s FAB photographer, is letting us feature her own very recent wedding in just a couple of days! It’s as gorgeous as you can imagine!

Also, you HAVE to check out the Little Black Book Blog today…James Christianson sent us the most spectacular Winter Wedding you have ever seen. The s’mores just might be the best thing I have ever seen.

We just had to follow-up yesterday’s feature at Devil’s Thumb Ranch with another of James Christianson’s Colorado weddings … a wintery wonderland that left me in awe.

Katherine and Grant were married in November at the Beaver Creek Chapel in Avon, Colorado. Their reception was held at the Timber Hearth Grille in Cordillera, above Beaver Creek. I suppose when you plan a November wedding in Colorado you might expect snow, but this is just breathtaking. Looking at these photographs, it’s hard to believe Katherine was even chilly! {She found the vintage stole at a thrift shop.}

And what winter party would be truly complete without s’mores …

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

James has more really-really great weddings posted on his blog, and we’re not kidding when we tell you that you have to take a look for some great DIY ideas! Then … while your there, take a look at the stunning Italian countryside photos he took. Oh my, makes me wish I could do a Mary Poppins thing and jump right into the picture! HERE is the link for his gallery prints!

Thanks again, James for being a part of our Little Black Book!

Another fabulous find via poppytalk handmade…this one by Dolamakes out of Brooklyn. Their silhouette plates are so completely gorgeous, the perfect gift for your parents or grandparents as a thank you for making your wedding so special. I actually can’t seem to let go of all things silhouette, so these are an absolute must have for me!

Today, we are featuring the absolutely perfect wedding of Nicole and Grant, two gorgeous people who wanted to get hitched in an elegant, but affordable affair. And as it turns out, they did just that….and so much more!

photography by Lauren Brooks

From the bride…

Early the morning of the wedding we had about 30 people meet at our venue and we started setting up. I rented ceremony chairs, linens, and wine glasses. We bought plates at a warehouse and thrifted mismatched silverware. We started by stringing white lights from the rafters. The fireplace was decorated with glass cylinders of varying heights (from Michaels) filled with coffee beans (my husband is an avid lover and drinker) and orange votive candles.

My mom found an old piece of wood that we used to make signs directing people to the venue and ceremony. I made a monogrammed banner to welcome guests to the hall (i don’t love it, but since i put time into it i hung it up.) For the ceremony I used tall branches and vases (Ikea purchases) to frame where my husband and I  stood overlooking the pond. Last winter when my husband’s parents cut down a tree I asked to keep 12 stumps. We used these to line the aisle and placed new and vintage doilies, mason jars with candles, pinecones and walnuts on them. One of my favorite details!!

More to come!

I took one look at today’s featured wedding and knew that I had to post it. It’s everything that you guys love…it’s beautiful, it’s incredibly chic AND it was designed by the bride on a budget. Does it get any better? So, without further ado, here is Nicole and Grant’s Rustic, Chic Affair…

all of the insanely gorgeous photographs by Lauren Brooks

From the gorgeous bride, Nicole…

We were married September 20th in Bend, Oregon. Being on a tight budget we ended up using a venue owned by Bend Parks & Rec department (a great but often overlooked option if you are on a budget). Aspen Hall was perfect – absolutely beautiful outside and a nice lodge style hall for the reception. It also allowed us to do everything ourselves, which was incredibly important to me.

When I envisioned my wedding day several things were important – that it be unique and representative of us, that we avoid going in to any debt, that we hand make as much as possible, that we have a huge dance party reception. I tried my best to keep these things in mind as I made decisions.

I knew early on I wanted to use earthy/fall colors and for there to be a vintage/rustic look to things. I was afraid finding a dress to fit this vision and my hard to please aesthetics would be difficult, but it proved otherwise. I found it in a small Seattle boutique – I Do Bridal (the first time I went dress shopping – it was the first one I chose, but the last one I tried on). I have no idea who the designer is and haven’t seen it anywhere else.

For my bridesmaids I wanted them to be all look different and comfortable. Looking back I wish I would have just said “Go get a brown dress,” instead I picked a designer and fabric and let the girls choose the style of dress – we ended up with 2 and 2 just by coincidence of taste. We bought my husband a Michael Kors suit that he loved and had the guys get any brown slacks, off white shirt, and a tie in a color that fit our scheme. I loved how that turned out – their personalities showed in their attire.

So much more to come!

More from today’s GORGEOUS featured wedding…

photographs by Traci Griffin

From Kathleen, the lovely, lovely bride…

Since a large part of both of our childhoods was sitting around a dinner table, a family style meal was a given. We managed to save quite a bit of money by doing many of the projects ourselves. I am a graphic designer so I designed all of the printed materials and other details. I found my dress online and was able to buy it at nearly half the price. We choose to take advantage of the beauty and simplicity of the venue and kept the decorations to a minimum. The only flowers at the wedding were actually the bouquets that each of my sisters carried. My mother-in-law sewed the two table runners and the back-drop to our alter. And the music was simply an iPod hooked up to the winery’s AV system.

So much more to come!

Continuing on with today’s featured wedding…our new DIY editor, Kathleen, designed a wedding that was sweet, beautifully romantic and incredibly intimate and warm. Words like don’t usually describe a chic, contemporary affair…but she managed to marry both aesthetics to perfection.

photographs by Traci Griffin

From Kathleen…

We struggled to find a location that fit our budget and our design ascetic but we ended up stumbling on Novelty Hill Winery. The space was perfect! It was intimate and had the most amazing architecture. It provided the perfect room for long dining tables and an open kitchen.

More to come!

Okay, now on to the wedding…every time I post a new wedding on SMP, I think to myself, “this is what I would do if I could design my wedding all over again.” It’s actually the benchmark to which has become the deciding factor on whether or not a wedding goes up on the blog. If it makes me swoon, I feature it!

So of course, Kathleen’s wedding was a no brainer…

photographs by Traci Griffin

So many more beautiful details and notes from Kathleen are on their way!

Little Black Book photographer, James Christianson sent us a wedding that is so fresh, so spirited, so just down-right pretty, it will leave you with a deep feeling that all-is-good in this hectic world we live in!

How bright and alive are these colors?

Sarah and Joe were married at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. This ranch (slash) resort has rustic “upscale” cabins, a lodge, spa, fine dining, all kinds of outdoor activities … talk about being able to fill the weekend with fun … it looks like the perfect spot for a long weekend wedding that will leave your guests grinning from ear to ear!

What about those log benches?  And the hanging vases, so simple, but so striking (close-ups in the first photo set).

According to their website, Devil’s Thumb Ranch is 5000 acres of year-round Rocky Mountain bliss … 65 miles west of Denver.

Take a look at these brilliant wedding details James sent to us! (Sorry, I just have to show the hanging vases again.)

LOVE the overhead shot of the reception table!

Now, a few more real-life moments from James…

Thanks James … and Sarah & Joe for sharing this lovely day with us.

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

Last week, I introduced to you our brand new DIY Editor, Kathleen (who won the DIY contest with her Custom Hot Coco Bags! Well, today, we get to see her own ridiculously gorgeous recent wedding, including all of the perfect little touches we’ve seen along the way. First, the gray and yellow, ultra-chic invitations that Kathleen designed for her affair…

From Kathleen…

Joe and I wanted the wedding of our dreams but we were facing a fairly modest budget. We started the process by setting priorities. For Joe, it was a generous and well prepared meal. For me, it was all the printed pieces and design elements. I am a graphic designer so I designed all of the invitations and accouturements. We splurged on having the invitation program letterpressed!

Here are a few more pics…

So much more to come from Kathleen’s stunning wedding!

Style Me Pretty is looking for an upbeat, friendly, and organized personality to join our sales team. If you love Style Me Pretty and would like to join us, please drop us a note to introduce yourself.  We provide all leads & training. Flexible hours too. Oh and we love bubbly personalities…it’s a must! xoxo, Abby

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to our new contributing DIY editor, Kathleen, for inspiring us to get creative, get our hands dirty (or at least figuratively) and to infuse our wedding style with unique, personal touches that will make our guests smile.

On Monday, we’ll be featuring Kathleen’s own recent wedding and when I say you will love it, well, I am hardly doing it justice. Here is a sneak peek…

And, make sure you check out Kathleen’s oh-so-fab new blog, Twig and Thistle! Until Monday!

If you are at all crafty, you probably love everything about the blog How About Orange. I would say that I am one part crafty, one part totally antsy…love the idea of DIY, but I don’t always have the patience to create every project. So, what I love about these vases on How About Orange is that you wouldn’t have to create 200 of them to make an impact. Just 3-4 for each table would be completely perfect!

For instructions on how to make each of these, click right here! I love the bottom left vase…I just might make a few of these for my home. Such a pretty way to add just the right amount of print to your decor. PERFECT for a wedding style that needs a shot of pattern.

Grace Bonney’s famous blog, design*sponge, is by no means a wedding blog, but she has quite a few really great DIY projects that could be adapted for any affair. Take these perfect centerpieces for example…

Ummm, hello gorgeous. Perfect, perfect, perfect for a simple, chic affair. For full instructions, click right here.

I am also loving these DIY cake toppers, inspired by Ann Wood’s gorgeous designs and crafted by a couple of her readers…

So cute, so charming on top of a simple, modern cake! Check out the full instructions, right here.

More to come!