Marty and Kristina met over a decade ago when they were in high school through mutual friends. They met at an event called “Rock the Water Tower,” a fall music festival in Louisville. That was fitting because they have gone on to see over 100 concerts together since they met. Marty went to an all boy’s catholic school & Kristina was at an all girls academy. They instantly became friends and spent every bit a free time together that their parents would allow. They spent most of their “dates” playing video games with friends and at the gym working out. Marty & Kristina both spent a year at the University of Kentucky after high school where Kristina was on the dance team. They quickly discovered that the new city was not for them and moved back home to attend the University of Louisville. Kristina & Marty graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor’s in Nursing & Marketing respectively. Kristina went on to work as a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a local children’s hospital and Marty attended the University of Louisville’s law school. Marty is now Assistant prosecutor for the County Attorney in Louisville.

Oddly enough, they never talked about getting married, or engagement rings, it was always understood that they would be together though. Marty popped the question on his mom’s birthday, their nine year anniversary, as a surprise to both of them. And boy was it! Kristina’s mom snapped the perfect picture as Kristina said, “YES”. Kristina’s whole family was there for the big moment and the rest is history.

Marty gave Kristina a gum ball machine ring he found in the junk drawer at his parents’ house, that we later found to glow in the dark. He figured he’d let her choose for herself what she would be wearing for the rest of her life. Kristina wore the hideous pink, glittery, glow in the dark ring proudly until she got the real thing. Now the ring resides in a shadow box in front of the photo captured by Kristina’s mom. They knew they wanted the wedding to be a family affair, so they incorporated as many family members as possible in the ceremony.

They were both raised catholic, so the wedding took place at St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Louisville, where Kristina went to grade school. Marty’s uncle was the priest, his aunts were the cantors, both of their living grandmothers were lectors, his second cousins were the flower girl and ring bearer, and the bride and groom’s sisters were bridesmaids.

The Wedding ceremony was a modern twist on the catholic prayer service. The couple wrote their own vows and included a poem about the hands of the husband and wife and all they will do for another in the future. Their program included a “wedding map”, which mapped out placed in the city where they met, got engaged, where the ceremony, reception, and hotel was located. The program also included a list of 25 things the couple wants to accomplish before their 25th wedding anniversary, and a horoscope that went with the “earthy” theme, entitled, which Tree did you fall from?. 

The bride has always enjoyed crafts, so she decided that she would coordinate, design, and organize the whole event on her own. She was obsessed with bridal inspiration websites throughout the engagement and handmade every decoration used at the wedding and reception with the help of her lovely bridesmaids. The décor was fall themed – earthy, and vintage all in one. Music has always been a huge part of their lives together, so they had a string quartet, harp, and trumpet at the ceremony, which sounded beautiful in the old church.

Upon arrival to the reception, guests found their place cards which were rocks with their names on them. The tables were named after concerts that Marty & Kristina had been to. While the guests waited on the bridal party to arrive, they made themselves busy with the photo booth, and the local art work at the reception site. Kristina painted a bare tree on four separate canvases, and had ink placed next to each one that corresponded to the seasons. Guests used the ink to make thumb prints on the canvas. After the wedding Marty & Kristina were left with four beautiful pieces of art for their home.

Kristina collected wedding photos from parents, grandparents, great grand parents, and even beyond that for a memory table that doubled as a family tree.

On the head table, Kristina made frames for each of the bridal party members with a short biography in them for their place cards. The night was filled with dancing. One of the groomsmen did a Michael Jackson tribute including props. The limbo stick made an appearance, and during one of the DJ sets, glow sticks were handed out to “light” up the dance floor. Overall, the night was full of love, happiness, and just plain fun. A night that no one in attendance will soon forget!

Florist: The Blossom Shop / Ceremony: St. Elizabeth’s of Hungary / Reception: Mellwood Arts Center / Caterer: Rolling Pin Catering  / Entertainment: Fusionary / Cinematography: Classic Pixels Films / Photography: Miller Photography

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Post tags: Autumn Wedding, Classic Pixels Films, Color Palette Orange, DIY Inspired, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Fall Weddings, Fusionary, Highlight Film, Kentucky, Louisville, Mellwood Arts Center, Rolling Pin Catering, St. Elizabeth's of Hungary, The Blossom Shop, Wedding Cinematography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

From PALETTERA Custom Correspondence … Alvin & Tammy were high school sweethearts, who not only got voted the cutest couple in their high school yearbook, but were also crowned Prom King & Queen when they graduated. After dating for 11 years, they finally tied the knot, in haute style. These beautiful photos by Bryan Caporicci give us a glimpse of just how beautiful their wedding was, with a breath-taking Canadian Autumn backdrop.

Alvin and Tammy share a very close-knit group of friends, who have been there with them on their journey since the start. Even the night before the wedding was spent at Alvin’s parents’ home with all of their wedding party toasting the happy couple, PRE-celebrating for the big day! Needless to say, the bridal party was quite large, consisting of 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen. For each of her best friends, Tammy chose a unique dress from the luxurious Enzoani Love collection, in shades of taupe, earth, and silvery brown. When they walked down the aisle carrying gorgeous bundles of Mokara orchids, it felt like a runway, as each bridesmaid sashayed in a dress that was tailored to their personality and style. The ceremony took place at the Manor, located on the grounds of the Carrying Place Golf and Country Club in Kettleby, Ontario. The beautiful manicured grounds and prestigious building architecture complimented the already beautiful Autumn scenery by the lake.

Family and friends from high school, university, work and church were all there to witness as Tammy & Alvin exchanged vows. The Avondale Ensemble performed some beautiful numbers for the ceremony, which added to the acoustic ambiance of the entire setting outdoors. The tent and ceremony space was overflowing with orange blossoms of Mokara orchids, one of Tammy’s favourite flowers. Fa Flower designed some beautiful centrepieces and bouquets, which punctuated all the earth tones with a pop of orange.

Alvin, dressed handsomely in his custom suit by Garrison Bespoke, and Tammy, beautifully dolled up in her Pronovias Gown, were truly a perfect match! After some hors d’oeuvres and a lengthy photograph session with the crowds of loved ones, the bridal party headed north towards the Historic Village of Kleinberg. There, Bryan snapped some lovely portraits at The Doctor’s House and its adjacent fields.

In the evening, guests were welcomed through the doors of the Royalton, where they picked up some beautiful placecards by Palettera from the reception table. In the hall, some soft, white draping adorned the walls, with artistic splashes of orange everywhere – in the centrepieces, head table and stage, and the on the cake! The cute 3-tiered cake was dressed with mini Mokara orchids, made by Box of Sweets.

The bridal party entrance was epic. Ryan, the best man, put together a short music video introduction on the screens, inspired by Beverly Hills 90210. For the physical grand entrance, the party coordinated a dramatic choreographed dance to Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are, which lit up the whole room. Parents and friends of parents enjoyed the awesome performance. Touching speeches, even a singing duet by the groom and his best man, and good food — there’s not much more they could have asked for. Everyone stayed behind to enjoy all the throwback love songs and dance numbers from high school days until almost two in the morning! What an awesome party.

Everything was beautiful at this wedding. One of the highlights was definitely fashion. A known fashionista, Tammy changed outfits several times. Her beautiful silver ball gown really fit her stylish side, while her traditional Chinese qipao showed off her stunning figure. She kept her Badgley Mischka shoes on, even for dancing! Another thing that resounded with guests was the stationery. The boxed letterpress invitations featured a textile-like pattern that when examined closely, featured photographs from the 11 years of courtship. The storybook invitation featured multiple textures, drawings and types of printing that together, brought out the couple’s shared taste in aesthetic: sleek, stylish and posh. While highlighted with florals, the architectural & interior design inspiration was also a tribute to Alvin’s profession as a construction & design firm owner. It was truly the coming together of two people, in print form. The table menus were also a unique shape that had never-been-seen before: oval shaped and lined with the some chocolate-sepia-white photographs from their years leading up to their marriage, with a highlight of their names pressed deeply in shiny silver. The presswork flickered with the candlelight at the venue, and added so much character to the table.

A Snapz photobooth sat just outside the main doors of the party. Throughout the night, guests dressed up and took photos at the booth and got to keep a copy for themselves, while pinning a copy to Tammy & Alvin’s keepsake board. Angel from Snapz was on site to make sure every guest got a chance, sometimes twice, to take some fun and fabulous photos. The whole night was kept in order by wedding planner Leah, from Elan Weddings.

All in all, this wedding was a romantic and glamourous affair, which set the tone for subsequent weddings in this close-knit group. It had a bit of everything desirable: fashion, design, beauty, haute style, autumn palette with a touch of bling, Canadian nature & outdoor scenery, a great party, good laughs and great company!

Photographer: Bryan Caporicci Photography / Photography of Stationery In-Studio: Claudia Hung Weddings / Stationery: PALETTERA Custom Correspondences / Wedding Planning: Leah, Elan Weddings / Bridal Gown: Pronovias / Banquet Ball Gown: Jasmine / Chinese Traditional Wedding Dress: The Cloth House / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids Dresses: Enzoani Love / Florist: Fa the Flower Shop / Hair: Blo On The Go / Make Up: Nicole Ostonal / Groom’s suit: Garrison Bespoke / Groomsmen Suits: Freeman Formalwear / Band: Avondale Ensemble / Cake: Box of Sweets / Photobooth: Snapz Photo Booth / Venue: Carrying Place Golf and Country Club

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Post tags: Autumn Wedding, Avondale Ensemble, Badgley Mischka, Blo On The Go, Box of Sweets, Bryan Caporicci, Canada, Carrying Place Golf and Country Club, Claudia Hung Weddings, Color Palette Grey Orange, Elan Weddings, Enzoani Love, Fa The Flower Shop, Fall Weddings, Freeman Formalwear, Garrison Bespoke, Jasmine, Nicole Ostonal, Ontario, PALETTERA Custom Correspondences, Pronovias, Snapz Photo Booth, The Cloth House, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Stationer
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Rich proposed to Sarah on December 12, 2009 in San Francisco in front of Union Square on a rainy night, surrounded by beautiful Christmas lights and bundled up ice skaters.  He presented Sarah with his grandmother’s wedding ring, fully prepared for her to take the 2 carat diamond stone from it and design the perfect engagement ring of her dreams. To his sweet surprise, Sarah, who has never received a gift she didn’t enjoy exchanging, instantly fell in love with his grandmother’s ring, and would never have dreamed of changing it in any way!

Planning the wedding was a dream come true for Sarah, as she has always been a planner at heart and loves crafting and making daily trips to Michaels and Joann’s.  The couple instantly agreed upon four things they wanted for their wedding: fall weather, beautiful nature, good food, and lots of friends.

Living in the Bay Area made finding these things easy, as Wine Country was a stone’s throw away and a perfect match.  After finding a winery that felt like it was in the middle of a forest, it was easy for Sarah to pick her colors and work around the beautiful backdrop that is Buena Vista Winery (California’s oldest winery).  With shades of purple and with fall as the time of year, Sarah built the wedding around a theme of leaves.

Since Rich and Sarah are both sweets lovers (and excellent cooks) it was important to Sarah that the favors were handmade candies (caramels by Sarah and toffee by Rich) and that the dessert table offered not only a variety of cupcakes (great mini-cupcakes from Moonbaby Cakes!) but candies in shades of purple as well.  Every cake plate and decoration used on the dessert table was purchased by Sarah in the year long search for glass plates on Ebay. Etsy was another favorite website of Sarah’s, as she purchased the cake topper, fabric leaves, pompoms and mother gifts (handmade quilts with pictures of the bride and groom as children) from the site.

All of the “save the dates”, invitations and place cards were designed and made by Sarah using tools purchased from local craft stores and put together with help from her Mom and Sister during weekend long craft-fests.

Shanni and Blaine Weilert from What Shanni Saw captured the day beautifully on film and took great pictures of the many magic moments it entailed – including capturing the gorgeous Oak trees that flanked the outdoor wedding altar and that perfectly changed from green to vivid colors of orange, red, and yellow the day before Sarah’s wedding.

Jessica from Fleurs de France helped Sarah achieve her rustic floral vision and worked with Sarah to choose beautiful flowers within her budget.  It was easy for Sarah to trust that Jessica would choose just the right flowers to fulfill her vision of the day.  Not only did she do just that, but she even surprised Sarah by having two beautiful tall birch containers with fall leaves placed by the honeymoon table. The flowers were a great surprise for Sarah and one of the few she actually got to have that day, since she planned everything down to the last detail.

Overall, an important lesson to be learned from the day was to not over think/analyze things, which Sarah often has the habit of doing and go with your gut.  Choose great, highly recommended vendors and learn to trust. Enjoy your day and don’t worry about the things that you can’t control and you will find that everything turns out the way it should in the end.  Remember why you are there: to marry the one you love!

Venue: Buena Vista Winery / Wedding Planning: DIY / Caterer: Grapevine Catering / Wedding Stationery:  DIY / Officiant: Reverend Peadar Dalton / Photographer: What Shanni Saw / Bridal Gown: Jim Helm / Bridal Shoes:  Jimmy Choo / Hair & Makeup:  Erin Tate, Lewis & Company Hair Salon / Bridesmaids Dresses: Trudy’s Brides / Favors: DIY / Florals: Fleurs de France / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / Equipment & Lighting: Classic Party Rentals / Transportation: California Wine Tours / Tuxedo & Suits: Banana Republic / Wedding Cake: Moonbaby Cakes

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Post tags: Autumn Wedding, Banana Republic, Buena Vista Winery, California, California Wine Tours, Classic Party Rentals, Color Palette Purple, DIY Invitations, DIY Projects, DIY Wedding Planning, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Fall Wedding, Fleurs de France, Grapevine Catering, Jim Hjelm, Jimmy Choo, Lewis & Company Hair Salon, Moonbaby Cakes, Reverend Peadar Dalton, Sonoma County, Trudy's Brides, Wedding Flowers, What Shanni Saw
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

Yes, there’s more.  We are sending you into the weekend with this fabulous video of the masters at work by Urban Light Films.  Enjoy!

From Flower Talk… A beautiful autumn day with blue skies in Perth, Western Australia. The style shoot teams decided to have the shoot in Perth’s favorite wedding venue, Bluewater Grill which is situated on a hill with the Perth skyline in the background.

The theme colors are winter hue, red hippeastrum, orange tulips, yellow chrysanthemum, green/red nadine foliages, tulips and poppies. Cathrin D’Entremont, the wedding planner and stylist complimented the flower styling with dark green tablecloths, red charger plates and crystal cutlery. The walnut Tiffany chairs from the Bride & Groom Store go well with all the winter colors and Bluewater Grill’s private dining room with fireplace and rich wood surrounding. The string quartet was fabulous and their music really add to the atmosphere. Menus, invitations and stationery was all styled by Studio Bomba. I can’t wait to work with Angela and Leah again. Natasha from NK Photography took all the beautiful images and Derek from Urban Light filmed the shoot. Nicole Forde did fabulous make-up and hair on the models and Samantha Wynn was there to personally help dress the girls.

We had so much fun creating this style shoot and I am sure brides and grooms will get as much inspiration from this creations as much as we enjoyed creating them. At the end we had a lovely dinner compliments by Bluewater Grill and Natalie Crompton the wedding coordinator who did a fabulous job to make sure we had everything we needed.

Event Design + Styling: Cathrin D’Entremont Weddings / Floral Design: Flower Talk / Photography: NK Photography / Videography: Urban Light Films / Wedding Gown: Samantha Wynne / Stationery: Mitchell and Dent / Hair + Make-up: Nicole Forde / Music: Les Trois Amies / Models: Melissa and Nilan / Flower Girl: Jasyme / Chairs: Bride and Groom Store / Groom’s Suit: Formal Wear Express / Location: Bluewater Grill

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Post tags: Autumn Wedding, Bluewater Grill, Bride and Groom Store, Catherin D'Entremont Weddings, Fall Colors, Fall Inspiration, Fall Wedding, Flower Talk, Formal Wear Express, Inspiration, Les Trois Amies, Mitchell and Dent, Nicole Forde, NK Photography, Orange, Outdoor Wedding, Red, Samantha Wynne, Urban Light, Western Australia, Yellow
Post categories: Australia Weddings, Photo Shoot, Western Australia

From Bellissima Floral … Anne and Rob are a whimsical, fun-loving couple who met one summer working as camp counselors in the Sierra Mountains. After living together for several years in Lake Tahoe, pursuit of their careers moved Anne and Rob to the San Francisco Bay area. On a favorite lake-view hike during a visit to Tahoe, Rob proposed to Anne. When dear family friends offered to host the nuptials at their historic, lodge-style cabin in Lake Tahoe, Rob and Anne knew it was the perfect place to “Take the Plunge.” An intimate autumn celebration for their closest friends and family was planned.  Save-The-Dates were sent out: engagement photos of Anne and Rob dressed in wedding garb literally taking a plunge into the San Francisco Bay. On the lush West Shore of Lake Tahoe, 60 guests were treated to a full immersion experience of Rob and Anne’s vibrant personalities, love for the outdoors, and a festive celebration.

Anne chose a warm saturated palate of oranges, wine, plum and gold. She wanted an intimate, seasonal, feasting feel full of dimension and texture. To honor the autumn season, she requested dahlias and wildflowers be layered with elements that speak of the time of year, such as artichokes, squash, sunflowers and rosehips. Anne loves dahlias and included them as a tribute to her father-in-law and his passion for cultivating dahlias in his garden.

The wedding day was full of amazing and meaningful nuances that were appreciated by all, many personally handmade by Anne, Rob, and their families. Anne and her sister made the escort cards, crafted from leaf shaped paper strung on colorful ribbon tied to the branches of a tree in the yard. Anne’s mom and grandma fashioned paper chains to edge the ceremony pier, anchored to the pier posts with heirloom varieties of farmer’s market pumpkins. A skilled woodworker and close friend of the couple made customized wooden signs to guide guests around the venue and down a wooded footpath to the ceremony pier.  The wedding cake and cupcakes served for dessert were a favorite recipe that Anne’s mom baked from scratch. The ale of choice served at the bar was Rob’s own self-crafted homebrew.

The ceremony took place on a pier over Lake Tahoe. Cocktails were to follow in the naturally landscaped backyard, and dinner and dancing were staged on the cabin’s wrap-around porch and deck. But, Mother Nature had a different plan. The day started out warm, sunny and blue. During the ceremony guests were treated to a seemingly painted backdrop of ever darkening clouds reflecting in the blue lake.  The first drops fell as guests walked from the lake up to the reception. As the mountain thunderstorm came in strong, the celebration easily transitioned under cover. By no means were spirits dampened. Guests heard emotion-filled speeches over a farmer’s market inspired dinner, served at glowing candlelit tables. Anne and Rob shared their first dance under strung bistro lights and a lovely, evening Tahoe sky.

Photographer: Carrie Richards Photography / Flowers: Sara Spurlock of Bellissima Floral / Event Planning: Crystal Laquang of Amazáe Special Events / Invitations: Brides Uncle, John Moniz / Venue: Private Home, Lake Tahoe / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Rentals: Event Masters / Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid’s Dress: J. Crew / Rings: Tiffany & Co., Benchmark, Jerry Spaulding / Groom’s Suit: Men’s Wearhouse / Hair: Tara Morrisey of Bella Vita Salon / Makeup: Elizabeth Atkinson / Catering: Scott Yorkie / Cake: Brides Mom, Kathy Moniz / Cake topper: goosegrease on Etsy / DJ: DJ Paul / Wooden signs: David Worfolk / Escort cards: Bride

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Post tags: Amazae Special Events, Autumn Wedding, Beach Wedding, Bella Vita Salon, Bellissima Floral, Benchmark, California, Carrie Richards Photography, Casual Elegance, Etsy, Event Masters, Fall Wedding, J. Crew, Jerry Spaulding, La Tavola Linen, Lake Tahoe, Men's Wearhouse, Outdoor Ceremony, Tiffany & Co., Wedding Designers & Planners, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

* * *

These days when it comes to weddings you can get as creative as you want to. It’s perfectly acceptable to make your wedding as unique as you are.

When NYC restauranteur David Massoni and his fiance Rachel Bergman came to us to plan their October wedding, we decided to do a true New York wedding with a non-traditional twist. She was from Michigan, he hailed from Maryland, but New York is their home so we wanted to showcase who they are as a couple. The planning of this wedding was a balance between utilizing New York as a backdrop for the event and pulling together the details that were most important to the client.

all photos by Whitney Old

The ceremony was held on the water with views of the Statue of Liberty in the distance. With food and wine being so important to David, we allocated more of the budget to the menu. We decided to have a Sunday morning brunch at a park venue. This allowed us to keep the feeling of the event intimate and elegant. We kept the decorations simple because the setting was spectacular — the venue had large windows overlooking the New York harbor and the park proved the perfect spot for wedding photographs.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autumn Wedding, James Abel, Jim Hjelm, New York Weddings, Whitney Old
Post categories: Real Weddings

I love the warm hues in this board…just seems so romantic and cozy!

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Post tags: Albany, Autumn Wedding
Post categories: Inspiration Boards

I would LOVE to attend this wedding…Rustic Chic, it’s one of my favorite wedding styles! Great job with this board, Kayla!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autumn Wedding, New Hampshire
Post categories: Inspiration Boards