I can’t tell you how much we love these sweet moments that Richard captured …

And … I can’t tell you how much we love this place!

Christy and  Rodney were married at the historic William Aiken house.

(We featured Alice & Jeff’s wedding here a few weeks ago and each time we see it, we fall in love with the venue all over again!)

When asked why they chose to marry at this particular spot, Christy said,“Charleston is only 3 hours from Charlotte and offers great restaurants, shopping and the beach—our perfect getaway spot. We wanted to share this city with our friends and family and make a weekend of our special day! We evaluated many places but agreed that the William Aiken House was exactly what we wanted.”

more from Christy …

Modern Vintage/Glam sort of evolved—I never had a planned vision leading up to the process—I was actually very unprepared for once in my life! I’ve always loved mixing modern and vintage—I fell in love with damask early in the process and wanted to incorporate my favorite color yellow (which, to me, is very modern). When talking about it with the wedding planner, she suggested an invitation that really set the stage. It was perfect—yellow damask border with a pewter modern font and letterpressed! I also really wanted to incorporate vintage/glam elements such as mercury glass and brooches. The vintage brooches were an important theme of the wedding —on the bouquet wrap, chair ties, bridesmaid’s necklaces, and **mother’s corsages.

**note from the editor (Abby’s mom) … I’ve seen 3 daughters walk down the aisle and I have to say that I personally don’t love corsages. BUT ~ this corsage ~ I DO LOVE!

Aren’t the pewter gowns and pearl necklaces gorgeous?

Jewelry for the ladies?  Gray pearl necklaces with vintage brooches—necklaces designed with each girl in mind by Designs by Krissy (brooches selected by Christy). LOVE ‘em!

The fantastic team of wedding designers and coordinators at A Charleston Bride outdid themselves for Christy & Rodney’s wedding! You can read more about Melissa, Carrie, Leigh and Jonie on their website. A Charleston Bride does all floral design in-house (sooooo beautiful, Jonie!).

Christy told us, “My bouquet was all white  blooms—white tulips, calla lilies and sweet peas. The tulips and callas tied into the wedding décor—sweet peas were added since that was my dad’s pet name for me when I was growing up!”

Not to leave Rodney out of the story, here is a bit from him about the proposal …

I was nervous because I wanted it to be perfect. I knew she was the one for me, so I was also excited to move into the next phase of our lives. I told Christy that we really needed a getaway weekend, but it was not the weekend I would propose, and she took me at 100% face value. We went to a great resort in Georgia with a great spa. After her spa treatment, she was so relaxed that she suggested not even going to dinner and just having room service and champagne out on our balcony. I had arranged for a private dinner out by the lake – some of the tables were less intimate but I arranged for the most private—we were literally surrounded by woods on the lake. In the end, the evening turned out perfectly.

Something old: vintage brooch from grandmother
Something new: attire
Something borrowed: diamond necklace
Something blue: Christian Louboutin heels in sapphire
Sixpence in shoe: doublesided tape concealed the six-pence in the bow of the shoe!
Attire: Hayden Olivia Bridal, Priscilla of Boston
Accessories: Custom clutch by Up Style (*on etsy), Russian tulle cage veil by Kristina Eaton

SO LOVELY! Congratulations Christy and Rodney!

Thanks to Richard Israel for sharing your awesome images and to A Charleston Bride for another great wedding!!

Christy’s dress is from one of our newest Little Black Book members, Hayden Olivia Bridal in Charlotte NC. They have all sorts of great “gown guidance” and wedding trend tips on their blog (girl talk) … and a schedule of their fall trunk shows lined up for Modern Trousseau, Kenneth Pool, and Christos to name just a few.

You can also browse through these wedding dress designers’ newest collections on Style Me Pretty’s Look Book (links above).

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 28 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Birdcage Veil, Brooches, Charleston, Christian Louboutin, Designs by Krissy, Hayden Olivia Bridal, Look Book, Priscilla of Boston, Richard Israel, Upstyle, William Aiken House
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

Cake by Baked Charleston, Photography courtesy of Karyn Iserman

From the bride…

Plain and simple, it was hands down one of the best celebrations I’ve ever experienced. No one remembers the rain, just the great time and delicious food they had. I constantly hear how sincere and special our ceremony was and how amazing the party was afterwards. Family members on both sides of our families are in awe of Carrie at A Charleston Bride … both she and Leigh are the sweetest, kindest, and style savvy coordinators. I am forever grateful for the help in creating a flawless wedding weekend!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Amy Kuschel, Baked Charleston, Charleston, Karyn Iserman, Lela Rose
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

photography courtesy of Karyn Iserman

From Carrie…the beautiful bride!

I loved the surprises Carrie and Leigh at A Charleston Bride created. They both could not have done a better job listening to my ideas and making them reality. Carrie introduced me to a fabulous print by Snow and Graham and we ran with it. My best friend and graphic designer, Lauren Richie, did the most incredible job branding our wedding. She created timeless and unique styles to incorporate the printed pattern that we built our theme around.

photography courtesy of Karyn Iserman

The blackberry print appeared in the lining of our invitations which were hand lined by my sister, Angie and I  – and which was carried throughout my printed materials up to my thank you notes and menus. Carrie and Leigh carried out the print by wrapping votives, pillars, and boxes with the printed paper.

I loved the split peas in the jars too…such a fun colorful touch that I noticed when I got my pictures back from the wedding. I loved how inside the Wickliffe House the ACB gals had a very vintage theme, which was carried out in every detail. Outside the 1800’s home was a chic modern lounge – a perfect juxtaposition to our vintage interior. Finally, I LOVED the white umbrellas especially in my photographs.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Charleston, Karyn Iserman, Snow and Graham, South Carolina, Wickliffe House
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

photography courtesy of Karyn Iserman

From the bride, Carrie…

Our color palette was very classic and timeless: black, various shades of green, cream, and silver. As for bridesmaids, I wanted them to look just as fabulous as me and not cookie-cutter. I searched for an interesting designer black dress for my maids for months, but unfortunately I was looking in the wrong season. I ended up finding Jenny Yoo’s bridesmaids collection at The Gown Boutique of Charleston and fell in love with the versatility in the styles and was in love with the fabric. I took my sister and my two best friends to try them on (all with different body types) and they all looked fabulous – SOLD! I had Heather Key Tiller from Filigree custom design necklaces for each attendant. Heather used vintage chains and belts and attached beautiful crystals at the end. Each necklace unique and versatile- I LOVED THEM. I also gave each of my girls a vintage hankie to tote with them down the aisle.

All of the men wore a tux from Jos. A. Bank including my precious nephew who was our ring bearer, but Charlie decided they should all wear a vintage skinny black tie with the exception of himself in a traditional bow-tie.

My dress was a gorgeous silk gown by Amy Kuschel which I purchased at The Gown Boutique of Charleston. I loved my dress – it felt like butter on and gave me an awesome hour-glass shape. Very vintage-chic. I wore a birdcage veil and vintage crystal earrings, bracelets and a borrowed diamond band from my mother. I had fabulous silver Delman peep tow sling backs…LOVE them. I changed into a Lela Rose short shift dress that had embroidered silver circles in the fabric…LOVE LOVE.

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Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Amy Kuschel, Birdcage Veil, Color Palette Black White Green, Jenny Yoo, Karyn Iserman, Lela Rose, The Gown Boutique of Charleston, Vintage
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

With that said, it was one of the easiest weddings in the world to feature because it is so, SO lovely.

photography courtesy of Karyn Iserman

The event was held in Charleston, SC and was designed by one of our favorite event groups, A Charleston Bride. We got some notes from Carrie about her big day through a questionnaire that her AMAZING wedding coordinators/designers, Carrie & Leigh (who we adore here on SMP) had her fill out…

Even though we shared the same hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee our relationship began in Charleston. While we would have had a ball with all of our friends and family in Tennessee, we wanted to keep the focus on us as a couple first and foremost. Also, Charleston is so incredibly beautiful and an ideal spot for a wedding. We knew our friends and family would have no problem taking a trip to Charleston to do some celebrating.

I was the queen of inspiration-in a bad way! Although exhausting, I had so much fun exploring all the different styles I could go with in regards to my wedding. There were some standout weddings based in California featured on SMP that ultimately inspired my direction for my own wedding. The overall theme was modern-vintage. I wanted a mix of old and new, with a twist.

We have a TON of gorgeousness on the way from Carrie’s Big Day. In the meantime, I just want to give her a HUGE e-hug and let her know that all of us at SMP love that she is on our team and that we all wish her a very happy day.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Amy Kuschel, Birdcage Veil, Carrie, Charleston, Delman, J. Crew Crewcuts, Karyn Iserman, South Carolina, Wedding Bouquet, Wickliffe House
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

Lorraine & Sanders were married in April at the Legare-Waring House in Charleston.  What an amazingly beautiful place!!  The day was captured on film by the super-talented Richard Israel …

This beautiful day was choreographed by another Little Black Book member, Melissa Barton and her terrific team at A Charleston Bride! They pretty much do it all … event decor and design, coordination, AND floral design. Wow. What a gorgeous event this was!

We asked Melissa to share a little of Lorraine & Sanders’ story …

Lorraine is a very successful (and busy) woman so she gave me a lot of free reign with the design. She knew she wanted bright pink and black as her color palette, but was open to any suggestions from there. As a matter of fact, she was pleasantly surprised at her bouquet as she really wasn’t sure what it would look like! She loved the southern charm of the Legare-Waring House with the oak trees dripping with moss and alligators relaxing on the bank of the pond so we kept it simple and elegant. Everything was clean, not fussy which fit Lorraine and Sanders’ personalities perfectly. It truly reflected their style and the guests were in awe!

REALLY PRETTY !!!

If you missed the post earlier today about Richard’s “return to film”, you really need to check it out.  A very insightful interview concerning the unique aspects of film photography. Film vs. digital vs. a combination is one of the key decisions you need to make as a couple when choosing your wedding photographer! There are pros and cons to both, and lots of passion for both. Be sure you examine all sides of the question!

And to see more of Richard’s sensational images from weddings to fashion to family … visit his blogs {here} and {here} and his website. Truly awesome work.

So, to wrap it up, here are a few more of Richard’s captivating images from Lorraine & Sanders’ wonderful celebration of love and family …

Thank you SO much, Richard (and Liz) and Melissa for sharing this fantastic day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Charleston, Color Palette Pink Black, Legare-Waring House, Richard Israel, South Carolina, Tented Reception, Wedding Colors
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

Until then, we want to share some very interesting information with you. Tanja Lippert,  the fabulous LBB photographer of last Wednesday’s popular post {Ashley & Christian’s Texas Wedding} has started a new website dedicated to photographers (and everyone else!) who loves film photography!!

From Tanja’s first post on Keep Film Alive …

Welcome to Keep Film Alive! My name is Tanja Lippert. I am 100% film shooter dedicated. I love film. I love it so much, it almost hurts. I believe film is the #1 reason that my business as a photographer has thrived. I wanted to create this blog as a resource to photographers all over the world who love film like me. I wanted to create a place where photographers who love film and would like to see it STAY ALIVE forever could come and gain useful information relating to film and all the lovely things it offers. I also wanted to create an online resource that would INSPIRE and encourage photographers who have forgotten about film or only use it sparingly … might be inspired to run out and buy a few rolls. Who knows, maybe one day put down their shiny new digital cameras, dust off their Rollei and get back to work!!! :0)

Richard Israel is one of Tanja’s many, many, many fellow-film-lovers. He shoots fashion, beauty and weddings throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S. Richard’s goal? “To capture the mood, the moments and the beauty of his subjects in a sensitive, artful way.”

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Richard discussing his and Tanja’s mutual obsession with film …

KEEPING FILM ALIVE ~ RICHARD ISRAEL RETURNED TO FILM AND WILL NOT LOOK BACK!

Q. Richard, Where are you from and where is your studio based, what do you shoot?

A. I’m from London, England and have been living in Charlotte, NC for 20 years, working mainly in the southeast and lots in Charleston, SC. I have a studio in my home. I shoot wedding, portraits and some commercial work. I’ve also started an Etsy.com store for my art photography. I shot fashion and beauty for a good part of my career. I love movement, mood and texture.

Q. What is your main equipment set up? What are your favorite films?

A. I shoot Nikon F100’s with the 85 1.4 and 35 2.0 lenses, for medium format I use a Mamiya 645 AFD, with 80mm 1.9, and 150mm lens and a Rolleiflex. I love to experiment with lots of different films but my mainstays are, Fujicolor 400H, Fujicolor 800Z. For black and white, Kodak 400CNBW, Tri-X, and Ilford Delta 3200.

Q. Tell us what made you decide to switch back to film from digital; what motivated you to make the switch back?

A. I was browsing through some of my old darkroom fiber based prints and saw the light. The depth, tonality, texture and the pure organic rawness of film is what initially turned me on in my photography and in my opinion can never be replicated by digital imaging ever. I have always been totally passionate about my work, but now it’s off the chart.

Q. How did making the choice to switch back to film change your workflow? How did it change your lifestyle?

A. My workflow has been reduced to approximately 1 ½ hours for weddings and 30 minutes for portraits. I’ve got my life back. I spend more time with my family and spend time growing my business instead of spending 80% of my life in front of the computer.

Q. What advice would you give to digital photographers who are thinking of trying or switching to film?

A. Take it slow, test shoot, get comfortable with shooting without chimping, take time to discover the different characteristics of the many different films available. At each wedding shoot a couple of rolls and build up to shooting more as your comfort level grows. Check out keh.com for amazing deals on Canon and Nikon 35mm cameras as well as killer medium format gear.

Q. What have the advantages been that have resulted from your switch back?

A. A renewed passion for my work, I feel like I’ve come out of the (digital) wilderness. I’m now an anomaly in my market and separated from the pack, I am a niche.

Q. What have the disadvantages been for you?

A. The only challenge has been the extra expense of film and processing. As of now I’ve raised my prices to cover the extra cost involved so next year all will be good! I would suggest using the best lab possible, I’ve used local labs and would highly recommend a true pro lab such as Richard Labs in LA. unless you want to trade all the saved post processing time for hours of dust spotting in Photoshop. Yikes!!!

Q. Where can we see more of your beautiful work and find out more about you?

A. Website, Blog, I Love Film blog

Wow!!!! Just beautiful, Richard!!!

Thanks SO much to Tanja Lippert for allowing us to re-post the interview first published on her Keep Film Alive Blog. She has teamed up with some pretty amazing photographers to share the obsession and the wealth of information that film-shooters are so passionate about. You can see more of her fabulous photography on her website & blog.

this photo courtesy of Tanja Lippert

Stay tuned for that gorgeous wedding we have for you from Richard and Melissa in a bit!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Film Photography, Keep Film Alive, Richard Israel, Tanja Lippert Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride
Post categories: Real Weddings

There is such an important lesson to be learned from this bride…with the help of A Charleston Bride, she really took a look at her surroundings and made sure that each “area” was designed to naturally compliment the space. The cocktail reception was fun and lively, with its bold yellow and black palette. And the dinner was a bit more muted, with corals and greens to accent the beautiful wall color and elegant space. She added the black and white napkin rings to tie the spaces together. Lovely, all together lovely.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Color Palette Coral Green, Color Palette Yellow Black
Post categories: Real Weddings

How fun is this look? The damask linens next to the bold yellow florals…it says chic all over the place.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Color Palette Yellow Black
Post categories: Real Weddings

Every little detail is filled with charm, complete Southern style. This wedding actually reminds me a lot of my friend Samantha’s wedding a year ago. It has the same sweetly sophisticated look that just makes you smile. I have so much more to come, so stay tuned!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Southern Wedding
Post categories: Real Weddings

As many of you know, we have a new baby in the Larson house. So, needless to say, I am up at the most random hours feeding her. Last night, while doing just that, I spent some time on A Charleston Bride’s website and got way too excited about some of the weddings that they are featuring in their gallery. You have to check them out if you get a minute! Melissa’s work has this rare combination of chic style and lovely approachability. Every wedding that she’s done is absolutely gorgeous!

I’m requesting images from some of the other weddings that Melissa has designed, so if there is one that you would love to see more of from her gallery, just let me know!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Melissa Sweet, Outdoor Weddings, Richard Israel, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Favors, Welcome bags
Post categories: Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance

I know that this particular color palette is one that many of you love, so it’s great to see it executed so exquisitely! It’s just such a striking palette…so fresh and chic. Plus, your bridesmaids will love you for letting them wear their favorite little black dress!

The gorgeous photos were taken by Richard Israel, one of our newest Little Black Book members (I love that so many of our LBB vendors work together on weddings and really support each other’s work). Richard’s photographs are completely beautiful…they are so vivid, so full of life. I am especially smitten with his color photographs, as the seem to just jump right off the page. Love, love, love Richard.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Calla Lilly Bouquet, Melissa Sweet, Richard Israel, South Carolina, Southern Wedding
Post categories: Real Weddings

All photos by Art of Vision

I love this green, black and white color palette…it’s so sharp, so fun. And, it’s carried through literally every element, so the whole affair seems cohesive and seamless. I have more pictures coming of this wedding, so stay tuned!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Bride, Art of Vision, Bliss Weddings Market, Bridesmaids Dresses, Little Black Dress, Melissa Sweet, South Carolina, Southern Charm
Post categories: Real Weddings