1. Lace Runners: The inspiration for this beautiful shoot all started with the lovely lace fabric by by Marcie Bronkar Home Couture.  If sewing runners isn’t in your time line we found these budget-friendly lace placemats and runners at kMart!

2. Amber Glasses: The amber glassware used at the place settings and for adorable flower vases was such a perfect pop of color paired with the lace and white china.  Vintage rentals are all the rage now and Archive Vintage Rentals has a glorious collection available.

3. Brass Candlesticks: The brass candlesticks helped create that perfect touch of bohemian, vintage romance.  Scour thrift stores, flea markets or mom’s attic and start your own collection!

4.  Flourish fonts: Your stationery sets the tone for the rest of your celebration so it should reflect the same style.  I love that this romantic invitation suite by Memento Designs brings together the flourish design found in our inspiration shoot as well as a touch of the lace!

5.  Succulents: We love how Krista Jon used succulents in totally unexpected ways filling vintage amber goblets and brass cups.  The string-of-beads succulents mixed with cacti and blossoms creates such a whimsical and romantic look.

6. Macarons: There is a little bit of a French flair to this inspiration and you just can’t have a Parisian-style fete without macarons!  ‘Lette Macarons has amazing flavors and they deliver if you’re not in the SoCal area!

7.  Glass Vases: There is a little bit of modern mixed in with the vintage stylings that creates a perfect blend of the two.  I love these quirky vases from Crate and Barrel!  Fill them with blossoms and your table number to create a similar look to our shoot.

8.  Champagne: A romantic soiree isn’t complete without a bit of champagne to celebrate the occasion!  Moët et Chandon Dom Pérignon is oh-so tasty and we love the look of the bottle as well!

9. Paisley Cushions: Give your guests a comfy seat with cute cushions at each seat.  The inspiration shoot pillows were custom-made but this Pottery Barn version is just as pretty!

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

traditional romance at its best in Maryland
a perfect, rustic wedding in the heart of Texas
a yellow-infused, modern fete in Santa Monica
an awesome day packed with pretty
an elegantly relaxed wedding in Nashville
inspiration full of urban romance
a Spanish wedding full of whimsy
a style-infused rustic wedding in the city
a chic and swanky Napa Valley affair
a DIY beauty in the California desert
a romantic ranch wedding in the Rocky Mountains
an eclectic, chic celebration in Austin
a sweet-filled day in Phoenix
some romantic, botanical garden inspiration

Some fabulous links from around the web:

host a movie night with Bash, Please over at Design*Sponge
a cute, modern DIY take on the floral garland on 100 layer cake
how to set a formal table by Mrs. Lillian at the sweetest occasion

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

Designs By Renée
Jesse Leake Photography
Hilton Key Largo Resort
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina
Jared Wilson Photography
damali nyc
The Sugar Suite
In Style Weddings and Destinations
Delicate Details
Taste Catering & Event Planning
Holman Ranch
Ashley Gain Weddings and Events
Ceresville Mansion
Marry Me Productions
Love Tif
Moore Photography
Kari Herer Photography
Bellvue Manor
Formal Hair Design
Constance Curtis Events
Coastside Couture
Sarah Mayerson Design
Posey Floral and Event Design
Roseberry Weddings
Savannah’s Garden
The Lovebyrd Calligraphy
Bella Bridesmaid Tampa
The Clear Creek Group
Greg Lappin Photography
Hotel Teatro

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here. We’d love to hear from you!

Have an amazing weekend, lovlies! See you on Monday!  xoxo.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Amber, bohemian, Brass, Buying Guide, French, Inspiration, Lace, macarons, Modern, Vintage
Post categories: Buying Guides, The Blog

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From Lisa Vorce… Bailey and Pete wanted a “Willy-Wonka-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland” vibe. How’s that for a theme? A blast for us! Barker Decor put in almost 2000 square feet of high gloss white flooring and built two 12 foot candy walls. We flew in 3000 bedazzled bonbons, an entire van small truck full of candy, and over 1500 macaroons. Pure heaven. Behind the main bar we had a 12′ high gloss lime manzanita tree that Mindy treated with oversized colorful florals. Mindy also created playful “forest” vignettes throughout the room with oversized colorful mushrooms, grass squirrel topiaries, and flats of grass. The entire tent was draped in a vibrant apple green color, and then we color blocked the 4 corners of the tent, so each corner had its own color themed lounge.

We truly had a blast on this event, and adore Bailey and Pete (and their amazing families!). We’re looking forward to creating an extraordinary vow renewal party for them in a a few years…(hint, hint…Bailey and Pete!).

Wedding Photography: Aaron Delesie / Event Production & Design: Lisa Vorce – Oh, How Charming! / Floral & Event Design: Mindy Rice / Event Lighting + Set Design + Flooring + Furniture + Specialty Dance Floors + Draping: Barker Decor Service / Catering: The Little Nell / Wedding Cake: d’Elissious / Event Rentals: Event Rents / Wedding Cinematography: Paper Tape / Welcome Reception Music: The Spazmatics / Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Supernova / Dinner Reception Music: Impulse / After Party Music: DJ Ig of RedShoe LA / Photobooth: Colorado Photo Booth / Celebrant: Reverend Bruce McNab / Makeup: Fiore Beauty / Hair: Marilee Albin / Wedding Dress: Amsale / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Wedding Venue: Private Residence / Paper: Papel Paper & Press and Yellow Owl Workshop

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 34 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, After Party, Alice in Wonderland, Amsale, Aspen, Barker Decor Service, Candy Walls, Colorado, Colorado Photo Booth, d'Elissious, DJ Ig, Event Rents, Fiore Beauty, Green, Impulse, Lisa Vorce, Lounge, Marilee Albin, Mindy Rice, Oh How Charming, Orange, Paper Tape, Pink, Red, RedShoe LA, Reverend Bruce McNab, Supernova, Tent, The Little Nell, The Spazmatics, Willy Wonka, Yellow
Post categories: Real Parties

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From the Bride… From the beginning we had a pretty clear view of what we wanted for our wedding day. We knew we wanted to get married outdoors in the fall by the pond at my family’s place in Aspen. We knew we wanted the event to feel natural- but not necessarily rustic. We aren’t exactly woodspeople so we wanted more of a refined, natural vibe that would enhance the incredible surroundings without competing with it. I wanted our wedding day to feel reverent but not overly stuffy or formal. My wedding dress was a custom Amsale, who I chose because I felt like all of the sample dresses I tried on of theirs really fit and she understood my body. Like the decor I didn’t want it to feel overly fussed about- and the antique lace bottom and swiss dot top came together perfectly.

After working with Lisa for nearly 20 months planning the wedding it is hard to know where my ideas stopped and hers began. I think that is part of what makes Lisa such an incredible wedding planner – she doesn’t try to impose her vision or agenda on your wedding. She really listens and sort of adopts your taste and perspective so that even all of her amazing ideas feel like they could have been your own. Which is also a huge ego boost because who doesn’t want to feel like they created something so beautiful!

When I met with Lisa I had a binder full of ideas on specific aesthetic details I had been saving for years. She really took that direction into account but i think what we came up with was still entirely its own unique thing. One of the details that stands out to me still 6 months later is the music and readings we chose for our ceremony. We knew from the beginning that I would walk down the aisle to Til Kingdom Comes by Coldplay- a bonus track they originally wrote for Johnny Cash. Lisa reccomended the most incredible string quartet who played at the ceremony and cocktail hour and that was really special. We also spent a lot of time making our ceremony personal while still working within the traditional Christian marriage rite. Our readings, from a childrens book called I Like You and from the Bible about the importance of sacred space really reflected what we wanted our ceremony to be about- and our priest completed that with an amazing lesson on the importance of a childlike joy in love- which would really come into play at the reception and after party. My vision for the reception tent was that it feel like you were dining in the woods on a magical moonlit night. I wanted it to feel like you were under a tree canopy with the moon flickering through the leaves.  I think Lisa took that idea and made it a hair less cheesy, and a bit more modern and sophisticated.

The whole night was full of special moments. I loved the way my bridesmaids and house party looked. Each one picked their style of dress from Amsale’s bridesmaid line and their color, and the flowers Mindy did for their hair were incredible. Truly everyone never looked better. I loved seeing how the tent came togethet, and we actually had a blast dancing to Ray LaMontagne You Are The Best Thing for our first dance. I mean- the dancing in general was hilarious and out of control. The band was on our flight out the next day and even they said they had never seen people boogie like our people boogied. Word.

By far the most incredible part of the night was the after party tent. I told Lisa I wanted a Willy Wonka/Alice In Wonderland, main tent magical forest on acid and for the love of Britney Spears, did we ever get one. But really everything was incredible- I still cant believe we pulled it off, and we are so blessed that we got to start off our marriage with such a lovefest- because that is really what the whole weekend felt like!

Wedding Photography: Aaron Delesie / Event Production & Design: Lisa Vorce – Oh, How Charming! / Floral & Event Design: Mindy Rice / Event Lighting + Set Design + Flooring + Furniture + Specialty Dance Floors + Draping: Barker Decor Service / Catering: The Little Nell / Wedding Cake: d’Elissious / Event Rentals: Event Rents / Wedding Cinematography: Paper Tape / Welcome Reception Music: The Spazmatics / Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Supernova / Dinner Reception Music: Impulse / After Party Music: DJ Ig of RedShoe LA / Photobooth: Colorado Photo Booth / Celebrant: Reverend Bruce McNab / Makeup: Fiore Beauty / Hair: Marilee Albin / Wedding Dress: Amsale / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Wedding Venue: Private Residence / Paper: Papel Paper & Press and Yellow Owl Workshop

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Amsale, Aspen, Barker Decor Service, Colorado, Colorado Photo Booth, d'Elissious, DJ Ig, Event Rents, Fiore Beauty, Forest Inspired Wedding, Impulse, Lisa Vorce, Marilee Albin, Midsummer Night's Dream, Mindy Rice, Moss, Oh How Charming, Orange, owls, Paper Tape, Red, RedShoe LA, Reverend Bruce McNab, Supernova, Tabletop Trees, The Little Nell, The Spazmatics
Post categories: Whimsical

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From Lisa Vorce… Our Aspen event wins the prize for THE most fun event ever! Bailey and Pete were the most fantastically sweet and trusting clients…and by far the funniest. There was not one email from Bailey that didn’t have the entire office laughing out loud. She writes exactly as she speaks and she is full of life. You must read her blog (Peppermint Bliss) and you’ll see what I mean….

When Bailey came to us, she definitely had a clear vision for her wedding. She allowed us however, to take her vision and put our spin on it which was pure delight for us. For the welcome reception — it was cowboy kitsch at its best! Highlights included Barker Decor’s stunning high gloss red dance floor, Mindy’s amazing tablescapes of cotton centerpieces, charcoal glazed pottery and red ranunculus,  and my personal favorite…our high gloss red cardboard “taxidermy” that we hung throughout the room…complete with thought bubbles. Mindy created two gigantic cowboy hat chandeliers, and an escort card wall that displayed cowboy hats with table numbers on them. An adorable, interactive, and thematic escort card wall all in one. It was incredible.

Wedding Photography: Aaron Delesie / Event Production & Design: Lisa Vorce – Oh, How Charming! / Floral & Event Design: Mindy Rice / Event Lighting + Set Design + Flooring + Furniture + Specialty Dance Floors + Draping: Barker Decor Service / Catering: The Little Nell / Wedding Cake: d’Elissious / Event Rentals: Event Rents / Wedding Cinematography: Paper Tape / Welcome Reception Music: The Spazmatics / Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Supernova / Dinner Reception Music: Impulse / After Party Music: DJ Ig of RedShoe LA / Photobooth: Colorado Photo Booth / Celebrant: Reverend Bruce McNab / Makeup: Fiore Beauty / Hair: Marilee Albin / Wedding Dress: Amsale / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Wedding Venue: Private Residence / Paper: Papel Paper & Press and Tiny Pine Press

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Amsale, Aspen, Barker Decor Service, Colorado, Colorado Photo Booth, Cotton, Cowboy Hats, d'Elissious, DJ Ig, Event Rents, Fiore, Impulse, Lisa Vorce, Mindy Rice, Natural, Oh How Charming, Paper Tape, Red, RedShoe LA, Reverend Bruce McNab, Rustic, Supernova, The Little Nell, The Spazmatics, Welcome Party, White
Post categories: Real Parties

see more of the gorgeous details in the gallery!

From Beth Helmstetter…

Talia and Aaron are one of those couples that everyone truly wishes they were…they are so vibrant, hip and madly in love! And, while Talia definitely had a few other preferences for her day, the biggest directive she gave me for the day was she wanted it to be fun! And, despite being in a uber sophisticated ballroom, she wanted to make sure that the day didn’t feel overly formal and stuffy nor did she want anything to feel too kitschy and out of place.

We started out by bringing on one of the best bands in Southern California to ensure the fun quotient was high. This paired with great food and quirky details such as cute silhouettes and a cake covered in sprinkles made sure that guests saw the couple’s personality in every part of the day.

Now, there obviously was a sophisticated and chic side of Talia too which was brought into the day with luxurious linens made of satin ribbons interwoven to make the most stunning pattern. Hundreds of teardrop lanterns hung over the custom dance floor and Kate from Flower Wild completed the day adding her effortless style with garden flowers in just the right shades to remind guests we were very near wine country. It was posh, luxurious and a million other adjectives, but overall, the day was very much like the couple…fun!

Event Design & Planning: Beth Helmstetter Events / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Hair & Makeup Stylist: Fiore Beauty / Flowers: Flower Wild / Photography: Aaron Delesie / Videography: Living Cinema / Linens: La Tavola / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Dance Floor: Barker Decor (no website) / Invitations: Urbanic / Calligraphy, Programs & Map: Laura Hooper / Lighting: Bella Vista Designs / Dinner Band: The Cowling Band / Spanish Guitars: Cale Music / Venue: Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Bella Vista Designs, Beth Helmstetter Events, Cale Music, California Weddings, Classic Party Rentals, Fiore Beauty, Flower Wild, Four Seasons Biltmore, La Tavola, Laura Hooper, Living Cinema, Monique Lhuillier, Santa Barbara, The Cowling Band, Urbanic
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Real Weddings, Santa Barbara Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

click right here to see the full wedding gallery!

From Sonia of XOXO Bride, the lovely coordinator for today’s gorgeous wedding…

The bride and groom wanted a location that would give the feeling of hosting their intimate wedding in their home.  They wanted class and grandeur but not to overwhelm with a smaller guest list.  The Montecito Country Club was the perfect venue for their vision.

The bride wanted a soft and delicate color palette.  She also wanted to pull in a Spanish inspired feeling.  Mindy Rice was the ideal match to infuse romance and passion. The ceremony was held outdoors overlooking the Santa Barbara coastline.  Mindy’s creation of the Chuppa for their ceremony was inspired by the brides dress.  She used delicate Alencon lace to drape the iron structure softening and creating a hint of an outdoor church in Spain.  Hand-made rosettes were used to gather the lace at each corner.

Directly after the ceremony the bride and groom were whisked away for a private moment.  I remember the bride completely glowing and at peace as she walked arm and arm with her new husband to their secret hideaway.  After a few moments I found them gazing at each other as the sweethearts that they are.

Inside, guests were greeted with the large iconic foyer window that lent as a background for their cocktail reception.  Savory treats and yummy cocktails were tray passed to guests as they found their over-sized escort card.  The large fireplace dripped with floral and candles which created a warm home environment.

Guests were then invited into the dining room by through the heavily sliding wood doors.  Mindy created a warm and cozy dining experience for 60 guests with a long family style table down the middle of the room underneath 3 large rod iron chandeliers and intimate 6 top tables on each side.  Small iron birds added to the décor on the tables which guests couldn’t stop talking about. A napkin sat at each table setting wrapped in stationery with the guests name and accessorized with a bloom.

The bride gave the groom a gift before the ceremony started which rendered him speechless for about 2 minutes.  He said, “how did she know”.  It was a stunning watch that he had wanted for years. The groom surprised his bride with a ’58 Rolls Royce as their get-a-way car.

Ceremony + Reception Location: Montecito Country Club / Coordinator: XOXO Bride, Sonia Hopkins / On-site Coordinator: Saralee Franchi / Bakery: Christine Dahl Pastries / Calligraphy: Renee Troy / Florist: Mindy Rice / Hair: Sami Christophe / Lighting: Ideal Lighting and Sound / Make-up: T.E.A.M. Hair & Make-up / Ceremony + Reception Music: Roger Espinosa / Officiant: Rabbi Melissa Buyer, RJE / Photographer: Aaron Delesie / Event Rentals: Fusion Event Rentals / Linen Rentals: La Tavola Linens / Furniture Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Transportation: Rockstar Limousine / Transportation #2: Classy Chassis Rentals, LLC

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, California Weddings, Christine Dahl Pastries, Christophe, Classic Chassis Rentals, Classic Party Rentals, Fusion Event Rentals, La Tavola Linens, Mindy Rice, Montecito, Montecito Country Club, Renee Troy, Rockstar Limousine, Roger Espinosa, T.E.A.M. Hair and Makeup, XOXO Bride
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Real Weddings, Santa Barbara Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

from Abby … This is my dream wedding. Seriously. My dream wedding. And for a girl that looks at literally hundreds of weddings a week, that speaks volumes as to just how smitten I am with this affair …. organic … garden chic … you know, just perfect!

Brooke Keegan, the wedding planner and designer behind the day did an incredible job articulating the bride & groom’s vision in a way that seemed completely effortless. Sunny Ravanbach from White Lilac, their incredible florist, is officially a new style guru. Her subtle hand with the flowers, her organic and yet insane execution of the couple’s style ~ love. And Aaron and Jen ~what can I say … the best in the biz!

But what Abby DIDN’T have, at the time, was the rest of the story! We just recently got our hands on this short film from Curtis at Living Cinema. In two and a half awesome minutes, he has captured the whole glorious picture! And that, my dears, is no small accomplishment!

Brooke & Dustin’s short film from living cinema on Vimeo.

If you’re STILL as captivated by this Shady Canyon Golf Club wedding as we are, you can see all five SMP features here … #1, #2, #3, #4, #5!

Our thanks to Curtis for bringing this beautiful wedding back to us on the Little Black Book Blog today!

*   *   *

To enjoy more of Living Cinema’s brilliant weddings, take a look at these two beautiful films on their blog!

Spring Wedding at Rancho Las Lomas ~ Photography by Jose Villa, Details Details, Nisie’s Enchanted Florist

Dallas Love Affair ~ Thisbe Grace Photography, Bella Flora of Dallas

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Brooke Keegan, California Weddings, Living Cinema, Shady Canyon Golf Club
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography

To see the full gallery of images, click right here!

From Lisa Vorce, of Oh How Charming!…

This was a 30th anniversary party for the parents of one of the bridesmaids of a former client. We had such a blast with her at the wedding, and were delighted to be called to produce the anniversary party for her parents. Tracy and her brother Teddy wanted to throw a “travel themed” soiree for their parents. We set the tone with an airline ticket inspired invitation by Tiny Pine Press where we asked the guests to “escape” for an evening of great food and great friends.

I ordered vintage luggage tags from eBay and used them to create the escort cards, table numbers, and details for our wraps for the evening. The menu was a global 9 course extravaganza created by Tracy, Teddy, and Jerry from The Food Matters. It was one of the most extraordinary menus I’ve seen!

For the decor — we paired La Tavola’s natural linens with some custom skirted linens I had sewn. I love the femininity of the skirted linens. They hang so beautifully. On the tables, we used vintage silver spoon napkin rings, hand painted stand-up menus from Yellow Owl Workshop, and mother of pearl flatware. R. Jack Balthazar did an amazing job of pairing fluffly white peonies with maiden hair fern, mercury glass, and grapewood. Was such a stunning combination. I asked them to do a “statement” piece on the center table of the dinner party, and they did the most amazing display of clear glass, mercury glass, and candlelight. It was so gorgeous! R. Jack also did stunning lounge set-ups for me complete with transfer ware vessels that had a magical glow. Barker Decor finished off the details by providing ambient lighting that mimicked a gorgeous candlelight glow. As guests dined under the stars, Supernova rocked contemporary tunes on their strings. It was a perfect evening!

Event Design: Lisa Vorce of Oh How Charming! / Photography: Aaron Delesie / Rentals: Barker Decor / Invitations: Tiny Pine Press / Florals and Design: R. Jack Balthazar /Menus: Yellow Owl Workshop / Linens: La Tavola’s / Catering: The Food Matters

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Delesie, Anniversary, Backyard, Barker Decor, Elegant, La Tavola, Lisa Vorce, Oh How Charming, The Food Matters, Tiny Pine Press, travel, Travel Theme, Yellow Owl Workshop
Post categories: Real Parties