Day Two of Carrie and Brian’s wedding captured by Photography by Lisa + James…

Everyone met again at Moon Mountain Retreat. They were driven back to the BR Cohn vineyard for cocktails followed by dinner in the olive orchard. Carrie was thrilled to have a chance to wear her gorgeous gown one more time! Best of all, having the formal reception on the second evening meant that the bride and groom had plenty of energy when the serious dancing began … (Carrie was happy to change into her short sassy dress by this time)! How fun!

What a clever way to make the most of a wedding weekend with your best friends and family! Thanks ever-so-much to Lisa + James for this great story, the fantastic photos, and for being a part of our Little Black Book!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

A few more pictures and details from the lovely Audrey and Brandon’s wedding…

From Audrey…

I always knew I would get married outdoors so we decided to have the ceremony on the ballroom terrace where we held our dinner reception. Lisa Garcia, Catering Services Manager at the Wynn, helped us plan a 30 minute pre-ceremony cocktail party in the ballroom next door to the reception so everyone could mingle before the ceremony. I liked this idea because it created an upbeat vibe before the wedding. I was hidden during this time.

We had 75 guests and the ceremony was an intimate, non-traditional affair. Brandon always knew his father would be his Best Man and I had my childhood best friend, Catalina, as my Matron of Honor. We had a family friend, also an ordained minister, perform the ceremony. We opened up with the song “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, as everyone was being seated. My grandparents walked in and our mothers lit the side unity candles to “L-O-V-E” by Joss Stone, my Matron of Honor and Flower Girl walked in to “Only Time by Enya” and I walked down the aisle to “At Last” by Etta James. My good friend Susanna read the poem “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and my good friend Kacey sang “Again” by Doris Day.  Brandon and I then recited our own vows.

More to come!

When you find your PERFECT wedding dress…don’t you just hate it that you only get ONE chance to show it off?  And all those friends and family who came SO far to be with you…well, it just seems that day isn’t long enough! Wait until you see what THIS bride and groom did about THAT. Check out these images from Photography by Lisa + James…

Carrie and Brian were planning their dream destination wedding … from Chicago to the Sonoma Valley wine country… when Carrie realized that fitting all of the elements of a wedding weekend into a few short days left them little time to truly enjoy the time with their family and friends. So, she and Brian came up with a clever solution. Why not spread the festivities into two fun-filled wedding days?  And that’s just what they did!

DAY ONE … began at the Moon Mountain Retreat in Sonoma. Carrie & Brian rented the entire property for friends and family. From there, their guests were driven to the BR Cohn Winery for an amazing sunset ceremony … followed by a champagne reception.

But … Day One wasn’t over yet …

Carrie and Brian wanted lots of time with their family and so after their reception, they met their family &  wedding party back at the Moon Mountain Retreat for an intimate dinner party. They weren’t ready to end this celebration just yet!

Photography by the so-so talented Lisa & James.

Day Two … coming right up …

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

A lot of people ask me why I named my little girl Audrey…well, aside from my love affair with the obvious (Audrey Hepburn, of course), one of the reasons is Audrey Wray. I met Audrey in the 9th grade when we made the same cheerleading squad. Hey, I’m from Texas…I couldn’t help myself. I was always a little jealous of Audrey. Aside from being crazy beautiful, she was also such a free spirit. She sang at the top of her lungs for no good reason, she laughed with abandon…she seemed to simply glow.

So, when out of nowhere, Audrey Wray contacted me…AND sent me pictures from her recent wedding, I literally swooned.

Okay, we really must talk about that dress. That ridiculously gorgeous Oscar de la Renta dress. Have you ever seen anything quite as beautiful? Audrey is a complete fashionista (just check out her blog, Chic Girl Style, for more proof), so it’s no wonder she chose something so completely delicious to wear on her big day!

From the bride, Audrey…

My dress was Oscar de la Renta purchased from Saks Fifth Avenue. It has a light blue underlay, which took care of my “something blue,” and the lace detail is actually created from ribbons. My bridesmaids dresses (picture to come later today) was BCBG also found at Saks. My shoes were Christian Louboutin and I actually found them on BlueFly.com. I decided to keep my jewelry minimal since there was so much going on with the dress and the earrings I wore were actually CZ studs I found at Ann Taylor. I also had a six pence in my shoe and my Grandmother’s locket wrapped around my bouquet, an idea I got from Martha Stewart Wedding magazine.

Originally Brandon and I planned to have our wedding in Houston, but the vast amount of vendors to choose from overwhelmed me! Then we thought to have it in Ruston, Brandon’s small hometown in Louisiana, where everyone knows everyone. The planning would have been easier but we basically had to invite the whole city and that would just be too big! Brandon mentioned Vegas and with visions of dancing Elvises I said “we can’t get married in Vegas!” But then I thought about the Wynn Hotel. Brandon and I had stayed there when it first opened and it remained one of our favorite hotels. So we contacted AnnMarie Moccio, a wedding coordinator at the Wynn, and from speaking with her we learned that the they handle everything…the flowers, the food, the photography , everything! Perfect!

So much more to come!

Spotted on Poppytalk, one of my all time favorite blogs, these Sarah Parrott calendars are TOO cute for words. They are each handmade by Sarah with each month printed in variety of sweet, pretty colors and styles. These would make the PERFECT gift for your bridesmaids…just circle the day of your wedding and write a little note asking them to join you on your big day. LOVE!

It’s time to announce the ABCD Designs giveaway winner…who will receive a custom monogram design, worth $195, a custom rubber stamp of the design and a coordinating pink ink pad!

So, without further ado, the winner is…Emily!

“I’m a huge fan of Amy’s! I love the stationery collection from her own New York wedding. I like the way each piece of stationery tells part of her own story. I plan to take the same approach to my own wedding stationery.”

Congrats to Emily! We can’t wait to see the ABCD Designs custom monogram when it’s finished!

Here are a few more pictures of today’s featured wedding, shot by the lovely and talented Jessamyn Harris!

From Jessamyn…

I could go on and on about this wedding – how lovely the couple was, how much joy, silliness, and emotion there was all day, and how all of the details (chocolate fondue station as well as wedding cake, amazing dinner, hilarious toasts, extensive dancing – choreographed as well as freestyle, and more) made the day so special. Instead I’m just going to let the photos speak for themselves.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Jessamyn!!!

Well, the voting has come to a close and it’s time to announce the winner in our Little Black Dress competition! I, for one, loved every minute of it. Such fun color palettes, gorgeous dresses and hours upon hours of style inspiration. Doesn’t get much better than that!

It looks like the voting was more of an arms race as to who has more friends (which is fine, as it brings SMP to people who might not have known about us) BUT, as it turns out, the winner is one of my own personal favorites! So, I can’t really complain!

This board was featured on Day 2 and brings together those amazingly rich purple hues into a style that is not only chic and oh-so-right-now, it’s also incredibly timeless in it’s beauty.

Thank you so much to EVERYONE that entered! We are keeping all of the boards in our Color Palettes category so that your designs will serve as inspirations to brides for years to come!

PS – We are announcing the winner in the ABCD Designs contest from last week coming up next!

Check out this really wonderful wedding from photographer Jessamyn Harris. I love the natural feel and look, from the centerpieces to the cake, this wedding is absolutely lovely!

This wedding was held at a the Villagio in Napa Valley CA, the same venue that held this fantastic wedding that we featured on SMP a while back. Same venue…totally different styles.  Goes to show just how much the couple’s personality can determine the look and feel of the wedding!

From Jessamyn…

Ali and David chose a palette of oranges and greens for their colors, which really reflected the late summer, Napa Valley weather, sky, and agriculture.  Their florals were breathtaking, their cake had real wine grapes decorating it, and the bridesmaids dresses were a lovely salmonish color that echoed, but didn’t directly “match”, the hues of the flowers and decorations, in the cutest style that was flattering to all of them!  The groom and groomsmen wore lightweight suits, perfect for New Yorkers-by-way-of Los Angeles-getting-married-in Napa.

Speaking of chocolate, feast your eyes on these beauties…

Rich Chocolates makes candies that will make you jump for joy, swoon with delight, then fall over from pure exhaustion. They are that good. Think rich, buttery toffee (my own personal favorite), freshly popped caramel corn, chocolate covered animal crackers…yep, I said CHOCOLATE COVERED animal crackers.

These candies have serious charm. They are a mix of old school throwbacks and simple, rich chocolates with a few painted candies thrown in for style. If ever there was a perfect wedding favor, this would be it.

Here are some more shots from today’s real wedding submitted by Kim Lange of Kim and Niki Photography. There were so many delectable details in this wedding, but I think these adorable cupcakes…well…take the cake!

Those are some really fun and beautiful photos, thank you Kim and Niki! We have another featured wedding on the way!

It’s Friday and we’re chatting about favors today…so why not bring a little chocolate into the mix. Jessica Foster crafts the most incredible, holy-cow good truffles you’ve ever had in your life. They LITERALLY melt in your mouth…

Jessica will package them in the cutest boxes and bags, simple in design so as to let the goodies inside take center stage. Tuck a little piece of lavender inside the ribbon and you have a seriously perfect wedding favor. Check out Jessica Foster Confections for the full list of flavors…including milk chocolate framboise, dark chocolate chile and milk chocolate honey-almond. YUM.

The handmade wedding albums that Priscilla Foster crafts are, in a word…exquisite. Covered in silk, each album has 24 acid-free, soft white or black pages, with hand-tipped decorative glassine interleaving so that your photos will remain protected for years to come. You can even match the cover fabric to your gown….pretty incredible. Take a peak at Priscilla’s full collection, it’s so worth it.

To favor or not to favor…that is always the question! I know that many brides struggle with finding just the right favor to give their guests. Something that reflects your personalities, that is not at all cheesy, that guests will actually keep and appreciate. Well, one of my favorite Little Black Book members, Estilo Weddings has so many beyond perfect options, it’s hard NOT to find the right favor…

I mean, seriously. How great are those pencils? Perfect for a rustic, chic affair. Love the mini lanterns, which can serve as both decor and a great takeaway for your guests. Love the flowers in a bag (particularly the lavender). Love it all really. And, if packaging is everything…they have you covered!

Okay, so I know that today is all about favors, but after spending WAY too long on the Estilo Weddings site yesterday, I really just had to share a few more of my favorite non-favor picks, as well…

This shop has it all…from ring pillows to cupcake wrappers. From pashmina’s to gorgeous candle holders. And the best part? Their product line is really edited so that they only feature the really good stuff. Happy shopping!

Kim Lange of Kim and Niki Photography sent me these fantastic photos of Kari and Andrew’s wedding. The color pairings are gorgeous and totally chic…what a great idea to use a vibrant blue bouquet with the deep navy bridesmaid’s dresses! Love the combination!

The flowers by Sarah Padilla Designs are so lovely…simple and elegant, just as they should be. There are so many more gorgeous images from this wedding on their way!

If you haven’t heard of Mok Duk already, it’s one of my favorite new must-haves. The designer behind the brand, Anne Benjamin, is so unbelievably talented it’s hard to believe she isn’t already hugely famous. I am pretty convinced, however, that Anne is the next big thing in invitation design…

There are no words, really. Many of Anne’s invitations are actually reproduced and given to guests as art prints…something so incredibly chic.

It’s all over for me…I am totally in love with Mok Duk. Anne’s designs are so powerful, so vibrant. And yet, they still have this air of sophistication, like you are being invited to an exclusive, very private event. This is LOVE. True love.

I wanted to showcase a few more invitation designers today, one of which is the FABULOUS East Six…

How incredible is this purple inspired invitation? It’s ornate, it’s chic and it’s shockingly beautiful! Every single custom piece that East Six has designed is just as wonderful. There isn’t a bad apple in the bunch!

That strawberry hue paired with the deep chocolate is delicious. I would kill to see a picture of how this particular wedding turned out…with the incredible invitation as an introduction, it was probably pretty amazing!

For some serious inspiration, spend some time on the East Six site…the color palettes alone are enough to inspire an entire wedding style!

Here are a few more absolutely breathtaking images from today’s featured Sedona Bride wedding…

How beautiful are these? It’s as if every single details tells an incredible story…thank you so much to Sedona Bride for letting us feature this incredible affair!

To me, Viola’s work is the perfect example of how it’s really “all in the details.” She is constantly thinking of little ways to infuse personality into the weddings that she crafts, from the invitations she designs to the small touches that bring smiles to your guests’ faces.

The top photo is a sneak peak at a product that Chewing the Cud will be launching very soon…Cuddle with Cider, with the option of “Cuddle with Coco” and “Cuddle with Coffee.” Ummm, hello. So cute.

So much more to come!

I’m not exactly sure when the photo-journalistic style of wedding photography began, but I do know that now, it is pretty much an industry standard. Little Black Book photographers, Katrina and Andrew from Sedona Bride have taken this art to an all new height. See what I mean …

There are no words. It’s just that beautiful.

Katrina & Andrews’ website is chock-full of incredibly avant-guarde photos. Cathedral Rock may not be your wedding destination, but these guys have captured so-so many detail shots that you will literally swoon. Be sure to take a look … and take notes.

PS: The Sedona Wedding Planner, Karen Lynn coordinated this amazing wedding!  Gorgeous!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}