Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Our wedding was in a word – perfect. Perfect for many reasons. First and foremost because we were getting married! After 5 ½ years (which included 4 years of medical school and a move to Chicago for residency) we were excited about our big day. Even though we live in Chicago now we knew our wedding had to be in our hometown of St. Louis, MO. We wanted our wedding to be elegant and traditional but fun with personal and “Style Me Pretty” touches.

Deciding on color palette and theme were the toughest things for me.  I love sooo many styles and was inspired daily by SMP.  My husband went to Notre Dame and is a fan of all things Irish and my favorite color is green (match made in heaven, right?) so we took those details and ran with them.  Out of these details came one of my  favorite touches of the day, our custom-made Vineyard Vines bow ties with shamrocks that matched the Coren Moore bridesmaid dresses perfectly. We had a bagpiper at the ceremony which was very dramatic – in a good way.  The bagpiper came down the aisle to “pick us up” and lead us in the recessional. It was amazing  to have a moment, facing the church, my husband in hand,  listening to the bagpiper.  My advice to brides to be is don’t be too concerned with what your “colors” are or what your “theme” is but start picking things you love and that are personal to you and your husband and everything will fall into place.  The most amazing and incredible part of the day was feeling all the love around us. We feel so blessed to have such amazing friends and family who helped make our day so special.

A key part to our perfect wedding was our vendors! I loved each and every one. If SMP taught me one thing it was choose amazing vendors. Even for a detailed oriented type A personality like myself – you can’t do it all on your wedding day. Our photographer, Susan Jackson – is incredible. The ultimate professional but someone I wanted to be best friends with. And she is so talented I wasn’t worried for a second about how our photos would turn out. Our wedding planner, Jen was the best! I did not worry about a thing the day or week of our wedding.  Danielle, who did my hair and make up – ah-mazing. So fun to be around and also so freaking good at what she does. I wish I could say I look like I did on my wedding day everyday… not so much!  Joe, our cinematographer – also awesome.  I hardly knew he was there and am so so so glad he was there to capture so much of our day.  Bloomin’ Buckets, our florist, also fabulous, she translated my vision to reality  perfectly. I could go on and on about our vendors but they truly were the best and made our day everything we wanted it to be and more.

From Susan Jackson Photography…Yes, Lindsey and Tyler are a beautiful couple and that makes my job easy. But I want take a moment to talk about something. Lindsey is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met on the inside. She’s the type of person every little girl would want to be when they grow up. Brides’s take note here, Lindsey was sweet, happy, relaxed and poised all day long and gracious to all of those around her. This is the definition of a beautiful bride. It’s not how expensive the dress is or how big of a budget you have. I’ve photographed big and small budget weddings over the years and a “beautiful wedding” is when the couple embodies all of those qualities that I just mentioned above…..and yes, Tyler did too. Every couple has glitches on their wedding day, it’s just part of the territory, but there was no drama for this girl, she just smiled, even though the weather was approaching a hundred degrees. So brides if you’re thinking about having one of those “freak out moments”, because the cake was leaning or the flowers weren’t quite the right shade you were imagining or your mother is driving you crazy……don’t do it! No one is going to remember the “small stuff.” They will however, remember how poised you were in handling the situation. And….it should go without saying, this always makes for prettier pictures!

Wedding Photography: Susan Jackson Photography / Floral Design: Bloomin’ Buckets / Wedding Planner: Soirée Saint Louis / Wedding Videographer: Boda Film / Hair + Make-up: Danielle Erb of DanielleStyle / Invitations: Crane & Co. / Paper Goods: Wiregrass Weddings / Wedding Cake: Cravings / Groom’s Cake: The Cakery Bakery / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang-Le Notre / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Wietzman / Bridesmaid Dresses: Coren Moore / Groomsmen Ties: Vineyard Vines / Linens: BBJ Linen/ Church: The Shrine of St. Joseph / Venue: Bellerive Country Club

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 46 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBJ Linen, Bloomin' Buckets, Boda Film, Coren Moore, Cravings, DanielleStyle, Le Norte, Missouri, Soiree Saint Louis, St. Louis, Stuart Weitzman, Susan Jackson Photography, The Cakery Bakery, Vineyard Vines, Wiregrass Weddings
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Bryan and I met in one of the most beautiful places, and in one of the most unconventional ways- on a safari in Cape Town, South Africa. Amanda was serving with a nonprofit in Cape Town via the University of Georgia in the summer of 2009. As it turns out, the founders of this nonprofit are college friends of Bryan’s, and thus invited him to join our group for a safari to Kruger National Park.  Little did we know that while serendipitously sitting next to each other on the safari cart we would be captivated by each other during that first game ride, and inseparable until we left Cape Town. People say that because of our individual passion for travel, it’s no surprise that we had to go half way across the world to meet each other.

The inspiration for the wedding was vintage 1940′s, with a focus on rich colors. With blueberry and deep reds in flowers, dining decor and abundant candle-light, this black-tie affair transformed the Four Season’s Atlanta into a classy and intimate environment.

From Table 6 Productions…We really wanted to give her wedding the feeling that guests had stepped back into the 40′s but at the same time since the couple is from New York we wanted there to be very chic elements that reflected their modern lifestyle in New York. When Amanda was shopping for a dress she had a set idea in her mind before even trying a dress on.  From a young age Amanda loved The Sound of Music  Since being a little girl Amanda imagined herself in a wedding dress similar to Julie Andrews in Sound of Music.

Planner: Table 6 Productions (Mary Whelan) / Floral: Jackson Durham / Stationery: Paper Daisies / Linens: BBJ Linen / Venue + Wedding Cake: Four Seasons Atlanta / Wedding Dress: Bridals by Lori / Band: Band X / Draping: Quest Drape / Wedding Photography: Harwell Photography

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atlanta, Ballroom, Band X, BBJ Linen, Bridals by Lori, Four Seasons Atlanta, Georgia Wedding, Harwell Photography, Jackson | Durham, Paper Daisies, Quest Drape, Table 6 Productions
Post categories: Atlanta Weddings, Georgia Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the full gallery of images!

From the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum… For Jen and Alex, the only thing more romantic than falling in love in high school Shakespeare class may have been their wedding day. Jen and Alex’s wedding started with the inspiration of an eclectic mix of vintage elements that were reminiscent of a French market and whimsical, wild flowers.  Tucked away in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, the couple selected the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum as the venue to showcase their inspiration.

The spring showers only enhanced the romantic details of Jen and Alex’s wedding day. Nature was brought indoors as the couple wed under a stunning chuppah created by Cornelia McNamara, set against a wall of windows in the Museum’s Lobby framing both Lincoln Park’s North Pond and the Museum’s Courtyard that was full of new spring blooms.

Walls of glass windows lined with candles illuminated the rain droplets, creating a one-of-a-kind romantic glow for the couple’s reception in the Nature Museum’s South Gallery. One of the favorite details of the reception were the two French Country inspired Etegeres from Tablescapes that LOLA set together and fashioned as a dessert station filled with sweets from Blue Plate and cupcakes from Sweet Mandy B’s. The Etegeres provided a layered feeling for the sweet station with different levels of shelving and drawers that were pulled out and filled with multi colored Sevres dessert plates, also from Tablescapes. Another favorite touch was mismatched vintage Heirloom flatware from Tablescapes that were wrapped with hemstitch napkins and bundled with raffia.

Guests were able to write wishes to the couple at a DIY post card table that LOLA set together, adorned with vintage photographs from the couple’s parents’ and grandparents’ wedding days. The postcards will be mailed throughout Jen & Alex’s first year as newlyweds, bringing to mind the details – and the romance – of their wedding day.

Wedding Photography: Jen Lynne Photography with Yazy Raclawski / Wedding Flowers: Cornelia McNamara / Event Consultant: Lauren Carter, LOLA Event Productions / Wedding Venue: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum / Catering: Blue Plate Catering / Linens: BBJ Linen / Special Event Rentals: Tablescapes / Ceremony Musicians: Mary Monica Music / Reception DJ: Chris Somera, Mary Monica Music / Cupcakes: Sweet Mandy B’s / Hotel: The Elysian Hotel

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBJ Linen, Blue Plate Catering, Chicago, Cornelia McNamara, Illinois, Jen Lynne Photography, LOLA Event Production, Mary Monica Music, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Sweet Mandy B's
Post categories: Chicago Weddings, Illinois Weddings

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Hello Darling… A few months back during “coffee talk”, we all got to chatting about some fun and unusual ideas for a bridal shower shoot. Trying to stray away from an ultra feminine and popular palette of pale peach, buttercream, and gold, we mused over the endlessly stylish “For Like Ever” poster with contrasting colors of bubblegum pink and cherry red and everything began to fall into place. We fell in love with a stunning Graham Atkins Hughes photograph of a woman donning a knee-length, Emerald green dress with colorful balloons spilling out from underneath it, and other blissfully bright textural images from doughnuts to décor. Our inspiration board grew into a playful story of two bridesmaids and a glowingly glam bride.

Take one part 1980’s slumber party, one part Lilly Pulitzer dress and you have our recipe for a stylish and celebratory bridal shower. Bridesmaids, Gwen and Quinn, arrived at Jane’s Restaurant in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood for a bridal brunch greeted by bride-to-be Mimi. The ladies wasted no time toasting to their gal pal at the customizable Bellini Bar. After the clink of a glass, and a few words to honor the blushing bride, the gals grabbed their personalized rainbow lollipops and cozied up in the mod white booth.

Strawberry garnished cocktails, fresh fruit, and scones atop vintage white scalloped gateau pedestals framed color blocked bouquets. Lemon yellow garden roses, tulips, spider mums, and craspedia in white boxes were tucked between mod turquoise vases highlighting luscious pink peonies and oh-so-hot lily of the valley. Without a doubt, these beauties brought the something old and something blue to this celebration. White eyelet-bordered plates wrapped in alternating shades of magenta and tangerine linen napkins held retro-prep, powder blue striped menu cards which tied together the boldly patterned sweets display and centerpieces in a pretty little package.  Layers of glittery polka dot inspired décor hung above the table popping off the crisp white walls turning the modern soda shop into a whimsical oasis in the heart of this windy city. Jane’s first course of quiche and mixed greens was followed by a second course of beautiful strawberry crepes. The girls made sure to save room for the indulgent mini sweets buffet complete with classics like chocolate doughnuts with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate and red velvet whoopee pies, key lime and lemon pies with sugared citrus garnish, pastel pink cake pops and adorable umbrella cookies. The desserts were displayed atop custom fabric-wrapped pedestals and labeled with petite flags which complimented the paper suite.

After opening her brightly wrapped packages and reciting from the pages of her poetic Pablo Neruda paperback, Mimi presented each of her honorable bridesmaids with their own girly gifts. Chic costume jewelry nestled into blush pink peonies filled each of the Lucite favor boxes.  The bridal party made their final toast and grabbing a few pretty blooms and sweets, they waved goodbye to their friend and the enchanted afternoon they all shared together.

Photography: Olivia Leigh Photographie / Floral + Décor Styling: Natalie Walsh of Hello Darling / Planning: Kelly Cavanaugh and Melissa Samek of Clementine Custom Events / Paper Goods: Kara Gordon of Magnificent Milestones / Desserts: Jewell Catering / Place Settings: Tablescapes / Linens: BBJ Linen / Hair + Make-up: Nika Vaughan / Wardrobe + Accessories: Anthropologie + Photographer’s Own (Vintage) / Venue: Jane’s Restaurant / Models: Corey Doyle and Megan Klehr; Grossman and Jack; Sarah Stark

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anthropologie, BBJ Linen, Bridal Shower, Clementine Custom Events, Hello Darling, Jane's Resturant, Jewell Catering, Magnificent Milestones, Nika Vaughan, Olivia Leigh Photographie, Retro Chic, Tablescapes
Post categories: Bridal Party, Chicago Weddings, Illinois Weddings

Pitter patter, pitter patter. Seriously heart, quiet down a bit. But come on, could that board get anymore romantic? Could that blush color combo be more perfectly matched? Sofia, you playing with my inspiration board loving heart strings. And of course it doesn’t end there. No, no. Let’s continue all the pitter pattering with the outrageously dead on styling of Sapphire Celebrations, the breathtaking photography by James Christianson Photography, a ravenously romantic cake from Intricate Icings Cake Design, perfectly pretty floral design by Bella Fiori, and seriously stunning stationery by The Paper Guppy.  Top top it all off, you get to see it all go from inspiration to reality thanks to the talents of Rising Moon Video Productions. Ok, ok I’ll stop the gushin’ so you can get to scrollin’…

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

If you need a way to inspire your Friday even more, I am telling you this video is where it’s at:

Style Me Pretty – Inspiration to Reality from Rising Moon on Vimeo.

From James Christianson… Janine and I had been talking about doing a styled shoot together for some time. With us both being Little Black Book members in Colorado, we decided that we’d create an Inspiration to Reality shoot using as many other LBB Colorado members as possible.

As we were contacting the vendors we wanted to be involved in the shoot, we still needed to figure out what inspiration board we wanted to use to drive our creation.  Janine had the fantastic idea of contacting Sofia of Brancoprata to see if she would be willing to develop a custom inspiration board for us to use for the shoot.  Sofia has such a talent for creating unique inspiration boards that we knew whatever she came up with would be beautiful fuel for our imaginations.  With the image of our selected Vera Wang gown from Anna Be, Sofia didn’t disappoint with her creation.

Quickly the team gathered and starting working on pulling together our ideas for making this inspiration a reality.  The feminine feel of the inspiration board would be the perfect contrast to the masculine and natural of the Sanctuary, our selected venue for the shoot.

Photography: James Christianson Photography / Venue: Sanctuary Golf Course / Floral Design: Bella Fiori / Wedding Cake: Intricate Icings Cake Design / Paper Goods: The Paper Guppy / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang via Anna Bé / Cinematography: Rising Moon Video Productions / Event Design and Coordination: Sapphire Celebrations / Makeup, Wardrobe, Styling & Creative Direction: makeup by janine / Hair Styling: Hilary Hackney, hilhac2000@aim.com / Model: Sophia of Wilhelmina Denver / Linens: BBJ Linen / Rentals: Event Rents

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 51 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anna Be, BBJ Linen, Bella Fiori, Blush, CO, Colorado, Denver, Event Rents, Hilary Hackney, Inspiration to Reality, Intricate Icings, James Christianson Photography, Makeup by Janine, Paper Guppy, Pink, Rising Moon Video Productions, Sapphire Celebrations, The Sanctuary, Vera Wang, White, Wilhelmina Denver, Winter Wedding
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Photo Shoot

Click here to see entire image gallery!

From Natalie Walsh of Hello Darling: Hello Darling is endlessly inspired by the allure of French romance, the timelessness of hand-picked vintage collections, and soft seasonal blooms which create uniquely tailored décor for the most sophisticated and fresh celebrations.  Using that inspiration we designed our breezy beach déjeuner shoot.

This bohemian bridal party began their day with a barefoot walk on the beach, strolling along the sand in ethereal Jenny Yoo gowns in soft spring tones of honey, coral, blush and white. They held ladylike parasols in coordinating tones with the bride carrying her sweet something blue.  Their feminine bouquets in sunset hues of peach and blues combined some of our very favorite blooms using textural antique hydrangea, garden roses, scented geranium, ranunculus, tulips, dahlias, brunia, bunny tail grasses, and hypericum berries tied with a golden satin deco moiré ribbon.

The perfectly poised paper suite invited guests to the elegant nuptials of Amelie and Francois.  Signage was sweetly hung from vines guiding the guests along the stonewalled walkway to the intimate afternoon fête that awaited them.  Dining tables were covered in the very fanciful “Spring Kyoto” linen from BBJ paired with alternating copper and champagne lamour napkins.  Guests sat on gold chiavari and opera chairs topped by alternating copper and champagne satin caps. The tabletop was set with a vintage mélange of place settings with delicate floral and golden touches paired with gold flatware.  The pièce de résistance was the rolling centerpiece set in a vintage white milk glass collection overflowing with soft, lush springtime blooms of antique hydrangea, garden roses, scented geranium, lisianthus, dahlias, hypericum berries and stock in coordinating tones of peach, yellow, blush, ivory, and blue. We love how these vase collections can create fresh variations on each guest table making the event anything but cookie cutter.  The colorful menu card, place cards and table numbers coordinate with the invitation suite, save the dates, and event signage to create a chic yet playful collection.

We were so lucky to have had our beautiful afternoon shot by the lovely Amanda Hein who captured all of the light and airy décor and floral details including the paper goodies by Linda Junge at Greenstar Creative.

Photography: Amanda Hein of Amanda Hein Photography / Floral and Décor Styling: Natalie Walsh of Hello Darling / Paper Goods: Lynda Junge of Greenstar Creative / Bride and Bridesmaid Attire: Jenny Yoo / Parasols: Cultural Intrigue / Chairs & Place Settings: Tablescapes and vintage settings from private collection / Linens: BBJ Linen / Location: Glencoe Beach, IL

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amanda Hein Photography, BBJ Linen, Cultural Intrigue, Glencoe Beach, Greenstar Creative, Hello Darling, Jenny Yoo, Tablesscapes
Post categories: Photo Shoot

Check out the to-die-for custom birdcage veil from Tigerlilly!

Visit our gallery for even more!

From The Inviting Pear … Anna and Ryan met on spring break in Mexico. Just when they thought they should try living in the same zip code, Anna got a job in New York and Ryan deployed again. Despite the odds and more than 68,743 miles traveled, love conquered all. After years of courtship, and never having lived in the same city, they tied the knot in Austin. They chose a “Flight of Fancy” theme due to their endless moving and traveling around, plus Ryan being a pilot.

I designed a paper airplane logo using their orange and navy colors with accents of green. The airplane on the sticker, save the date, and accommodations card branded their wedding with the “Flight of Fancy” theme. For the reception collateral, everything coordinated in an eclectic way. I created five different geometric designs in their colors. This created a fun look for each piece, including “sweets” signs, menu, escort cards and table cards.

From CLINK … Anna came to us with Villa Antonia as her venue and a fun, bold color palette of navy, orange, and taupe with accents of wasabi. She wanted to incorporate rich, organic, vintage, and chic design elements that worked well within her venue.

The ceremony took place atop a cliff with an amazing panoramic view of the Texas Hill Country. After a beautiful ceremony officiated by a family friend, the couple recessed to The Beatle’s, “All You Need Is Love.” Following a military tradition, Anna and Ryan passed through the Arch of Swords where they were required to kiss before permission was granted to pass through each sword.

Guests enjoyed a champagne reception, then made their way to dine under the stars and a blanket of white paper lanterns. After dinner, guests moved indoors to enjoy the live band and dancing. As the evening heated up, Anna changed into a stunning second dress and danced the night away. The couple departed the reception under a shower of orange paper airplanes and rode off in a classic blue Mustang.

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Villa Antonia / Catering & Rentals: Sterling Affairs Catering & Event Planning / Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Furniture Rental: Mancino Iron / Linens: BBJ Linen / Lighting: ILIOS Lighting / Hair & Makeup: Rochelle Rae / Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Divisi Strings / Entertainment: The Grooves / Officiant: David Danielson / Florist: Visual Lyrics / Photographer: Christina Carroll Photography / Transportation: Transportation Consultants / Wedding Coordination: CLINK / Wedding Stationery: The Inviting Pear / Wedding Dress: Marisa / Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Veil: Handmade by Tigerlilly / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Austin, Badgley Mischka, BBJ Linen, Christina Carroll Photography, CLINK, David's Bridal, Divisi Strings, Ilios LIghting, Mancino Iron, Marisa, Michelle's Patisserie, Military, Navy Wedding, Rochelle Rae, Sterling Affairs Catering & Event Planning, Texas Weddings, The Grooves, The Inviting Pear, Tigerlilly, Transportation Consultants, Villa Antonia, Visual Lyrics
Post categories: Accessories, Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Planners & Designers

Visit the gallery for more of this fresh wedding!

From the bride … The decision to have our wedding at the Old Red Courthouse was one that came with great ease. It is magnificent in appearance with a great balance between old historic charm and the elegance of a grand ballroom. Our day was infused with hues of greens and touches of damask. We incorporated personal touches like mini jars with personalized M&M’s and hand written notes from guests hung on our wishing tree. Jenny Martell Photography did a phenomenal job with our photography. Some of our favorite photos are those taken down in the lobby of the museum, where there is a wonderful and original white and black checked flooring. It matched the wedding beautifully.

Photography: Jenny Martell Photography / Floral Designer: FD2 Custom Floral Design / Event Planning & Design: Couture Events by Lottie / Cake & Desserts: The Cake Guys / Wedding Gown Designer: Priscilla of Boston / Caterer: Culinary Art Catering / Linens: BBJ Linen / Wedding Venue: The Old Red Courthouse / Entertainment: DJ Tony Lopez

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBJ Linen, Courthouse Wedding, Couture Events by Lottie, Culinary Art Catering, Damask, DJ Tony Lopez, FD2 Custom Floral Design, Green, Jenny Martell Photography, Priscilla of Boston, Texas Weddings, The Cake Guys, The Old Red Courthouse
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography