Style Me Pretty

Blue Nile Gift Certificate GIVEAWAY!

Yesterday was a good day on SMP. Not only did we bask in our usual lineup of show-stopper weddings, we also announced the beginning of one VERY fabulous week of giveaways… all in honor of our annual Best of Magazine. Yep, just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any better than an entire digital mag devoted to all of the lovely from 2011, we thought we’d spice it up a bit with a Monday through Friday of wonderful giveaways from some of our favorite advertisers.  And today’s oh-so-awesome giveaway is GUARANTEED to leave you giddy, because it’s coming to you straight from the gurus of all things jewelry, Blue Nile.

There’s just nothing like an hour spent perusing the pretty on the Blue Nile website, don’t you agree? They have jewelry down to a science with their line of gorgeous engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and more.  You name it and Blue Nile is making it FABULOUS.  And you know how much we appreciate fabulous jewelry here at SMP.

And here’s where it gets really exciting.  In honor of our 2011 Best of Magazine, the amazing team at Blue Nile is gifting one lucky reader with a pair of Flower Diamond and Freshwater Cultured Pearl Earrings ($370 Value).  And they are GORGEOUS.

To Enter: Head on over to our Best of Magazine and leave a comment below telling us the one piece of bling from the mag that you are dying over – with the associated page number.  (Example – Fabulous Pearl Necklace, pg. 60)

To Win: The winner, chosen completely at random using a number generator, will be announced right here on SMP on Friday, February 17th.

A big thank you to Blue Nile for helping to make today uber-amazing here at SMP.  Good luck, SMP-ers! xoxo

Photography: 1. Leo Patrone Photography / 2. Erin Hearts Court / 3. Jose Villa / 4. Sarah Yates

Melbourne Wedding by John Montesi

This bride and groom brought loads of creativity to the table for their romantic, urban Melbourne wedding.  The ceremony. held in a cool art gallery, featured the work of the bride and the groom made the wedding cake!  The way to my heart is through baked goods so he is, hands down, a keeper in my book!  John Montesi captured every cute, creative and cool detail and... [MORE]

Palm Springs Wedding by Shannen Norman Photography

Holy gorgeous flower explosion! Flowerwild took it to an entirely new level of lovely in this Palm Springs wedding, and I am loving every minute of it. Actually, let me be honest, this entire fête is upping the ante on prettiness, and you won’t hear this wedding blogger complain one little bit. Instead I’ll be gushing and gasping over all the gorgeous images captured by Shannen Norman Photography making for one downright darling way to spend a day. See even more here!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Brian and I wanted to feel like us on our wedding day — carefree and laid back. Having our loved ones take part in our big day was a personal experience for us — our good family friend officiated the wedding, our best friends and family members made up our wedding party, Brian’s childhood friends played the ceremony music and shot the day on 8 mm film, and our readers are close friends as well. We wanted our day to be easy — no stress for our guests or us. This feeling was the same for our décor. We wanted to have an understated sophistication and elegance. Basically, we didn’t want to go over-the-top. We kept everything very simple — planning, décor, flowers, using in-house pastries versus purchasing an additional wedding cake, and we added fun touches that tied into our mod desert venue (palm fans for programs, printed canvas gift bags, vintage family photos and Jonathan Adler “Mr. & Mrs. Muse” cake toppers). Finding The Parker as a venue was perfect for us because the décor is similar to our style: a fusion of classic, rustic, artistic and eclectic. When planning our big day, we focused on the decor and natural beauty of the gardens at the resort. Using what we had available allowed us to stay within a budget, but also helped to keep things simple like we wanted. With 90% of our guests flying in for the wedding, we wanted everyone to be taken care of. We wanted our guests to have an experience staying at a relaxing and beautiful hotel where the wedding would be steps away.

For the indoor reception, we wanted the ambiance to feel dark and warm, like at some of our favorite restaurants. We had a long table going down the middle of the room with our family and friends surrounding us, which made it feel intimate. The focus was on the experience and making sure our guests enjoyed themselves. The food was phenomenal; the music got everyone onto the dance floor; and our photographer, Shannen, captured countless candid moments. Finding the perfect venue and vendors truly made our day stress free.  We knew everything was taken care of and that our big day would go off without a hitch. 

I spent the day getting ready with my mom, soon-to-be mother-in-law and best friends in the world.  Although I was so happy to be with them, I couldn’t wait to see Brian. Once I was ready, I remember walking with Shannen to our first look location, having no idea where she was taking me. She held my dress as I babbled on about who knows what. As soon as I saw Brian, he took my breath away. After our first look it was time for the ceremony.  I’ll never forget the feeling I had walking down the aisle towards my husband to be … I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.  The joy in his face is a moment I’ll remember for the rest of the life. We will always remember having everyone we love most in the world in the same place at the same time.   

Wedding Photography: Shannen Norman Photography / Wedding Venue, Catering + Cupcakes: The Parker Palm Springs in Palm Springs, California / Event Design: The Bride + Groom / Event Planning: Kathy Recchia of Save the Date Events / Floral Design: Kate Holt of Flowerwild / Wedding Dress: Somsi Couture / Hairpieces: Nancy Shefts / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale, J.Crew, Dessy + Nordstrom / Bridesmaids’ Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar / Hair + Makeup: Neeraja Lockart (Makeup), Michael Strause (Hair) + Jodi Sanger-Weaver (Hair + Makeup) / Groom Suit: Hugo Boss Red Label via Nordstrom / Groom Shoes: Cole Haan / Men’s Ties: Nordstrom / Wedding Cinematography: Jac Cheairs / Wedding Invitations: Brown Printing / Wedding Programs: Ink & Envelopes / Black & White Cookies: Izzy’s Deli / Ceremony Music: Steve Paikai / DJ: DJ Chris Paul / Cake Topper: Jonathan Adler

Chicago History Museum Wedding by David Wittig Photography

A sweet, personalized wedding ceremony never fails to make me smile, so it pretty much goes without saying that this gorgeous Chicago affair by David Wittig Photography has me grinning from ear to ear. Yep, it's just one heartwarming moment after another with this gorgeous duo, including handwritten vows, a fabulous wine ceremony and their two adorable pups serving as ring bearers.  SO cute. Even better, the love these two share is... [MORE]

Titusville Wedding by Shea Christine Photography

In our eyes, a gorgeous rustic affair will never, EVER go out of style and we have a feeling we aren’t alone. So to you, fellow mason jar loving, bird-cage dawning Brides out there, we dedicate this Florida barn beauty by Shea Christine Photography. It’s casual yet packed with elegance and loads of homespun details that are sure to make their way into your wedding folders this very minute.  See it all right here!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… From the moment we got engaged, my husband and I knew we were not looking for the traditional wedding. We wanted it to be unique, which decided a lot of things right off the bat. First of all, it meant paying for it ourselves. We wanted our wedding to be entirely “us,” which meant making all the decisions on our own and not having to worry about offending the people footing the bill. And as that was the case, the second thing it meant was DIY. It really worked out perfectly since I love craft projects and homemade things. I had SO much fun (favorites include the boutonnieres, my cake topper, and the little hors d’oeuvres cones I made) and I even got my fiance in on some of it, which made it extra fun!

We found the perfect setting at Birdsong Barn — a sort of ready-made atmosphere, complete with a lawn for playing games, loads of already-hung white Christmas lights, and plenty of charm. We picked a giant oak tree for the actual ceremony and planned a mixture of traditional and non-traditional elements. Our vows were classic, but our wedding party was not. Since we wanted to keep it very small, it felt strange to have ten of our friends standing up front when there were only about 50 people total! Instead, we had them be part of the ceremony by constructing the arch. Each of the bridesmaids and the parents added flowers to the mason jar arch before sitting on the front row. Everyone in the bridal party picked their own clothes with very general guidelines — girls had to wear purple and guys had to wear suspenders.

Another key was using our friends for everything possible! From our bluegrass band, Springer Mountain, to SeaLillie, the company who designed and made all my jewelry (including earrings made from the extra buttons from my wedding dress for all my bridesmaids), we made sure to support our friends as much as possible in the process. Fortunately, I have a lot of talented friends! We figured if we had to pay someone, why shouldn’t it be people we already know and love? Both of our families were amazing too. Almost all the decorations that we brought to the barn were pieces that my mom has had lying around forever — books published in the early 1800s, vases, pitchers and vintage mason jars that have been passed down in our family, etc… We wanted everything to mean something! My mom and sister and I made batch after batch of pickles and apple butter and jam for the favors, and Jared’s family was a huge help too!

Wedding Photography: Shea Christine Photography / Wedding Venue: Birdsong Barn in Titusville, Florida / Band: Springer Mountain / Jewelry: SeaLillie / Cake Topper + Boutonnieres: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Cake: A Family Friend / Wedding Dress: Justin Alexander via Robyn Lynne Bridal / Veil: Penelope Koleos Williams / Wedding Flowers: Whole Blossoms / Wedding Signs: DIY + Birdsong Barn

Montreal Engagement Session by You, Me and a Photograph

I love, love, love a fabulous engagement session.... and this Montreal e-shoot captured by You, Me and a Photograph is exactly the reason why.  A cute as can be couple, a plethora of fabulous settings, some vintage chic attire and an uber-romantic rowboat ride... Does it get any sweeter?!?  Plus, add in a gallery filled to the brim with special moments between the darling bride and groom-to-be, including some swoon-worthy stops... [MORE]

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