THESE lovely ladies celebrated Linnea & Dave’s wedding this past August in Maine. SO PRETTY!

Francie at Tangorra Wedding Planning is sharing a bit of their story with us … and Alexandra Daley-Clark is responsible for all of the awesome images …

from Francie …

These two were so fun to work with, they had such great style and we were able to really showcase their personalities in their wedding weekend, which we love! They both LOVE food and wine – Dave owns a wine consulting company, and has worked in some of New York’s best foodie destinations, so we obviously had to incorporate that everywhere! The weekend started off with a super fun boat tour aboard the “Island Romance” and a welcome lobster bake for all of their guests on Peak’s Island, a tiny little island right off the coast of Portland.

On the wedding day, which was a truly beautiful day – the kind that only exists in Maine – Dave prepped with a professional shave, while the girls primped in a cute little salon in the Old Port. The ceremony and reception were held on the grounds of the Southern Maine Community College, on a spot where Linnea’s Grandfather’s house used to stand (before the college was built), overlooking the beach where her mother grew up taking swimming lessons!

After the ceremony, they had an amazing 5 course tasting meal that revolved around Maine’s finest offerings – mini lobster rolls, seared duck with blueberry sauce, mint ravioli – yum! And of course, every dish was paired with a fabulous glass of wine. The attention to detail didn’t end with the meal, though. This wedding was gorgeous. From their ceremony (which included a wine ceremony!) overlooking the Spring Point lighthouse to the reception in a glowing Sperry tent right on the coast, everything was the perfect blend of New York chic and rustic Maine goodness.

Farm tables and Victoria ghost chairs …. hmmmmm…. doesn’t get ANY better than that!

(invitations by the fabulous Bella Figura!)

And as promised earlier, the details from the lovely bride, Linnea …

Dave and I worked with Francie to create a relaxed, intimate celebration that felt very ‘us’. We really wanted our guests to experience the natural beauty of the Maine coast, so we chose a gorgeous ocean-side site at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. My mother grew up in Maine and my grandfather’s childhood home (until it was turned into a WWII shipyard!) was literally steps away from our site, so there was lots of family significance on my side!

During our ceremony, guests had views of sailboats, scenic Casco Bay islands, abandoned Civil War forts, wildflowers, and not one but TWO lighthouses! We really wanted the focus to be on the natural coastal beauty, so we limited our ceremony decor to galvanized pails of hydrangea lining the aisle.

I took tons of photos when we initially chose our location, which really helped us choose attire for our wedding party later on – I literally cut and pasted photos of dresses onto a background showing where our ceremony would be held! That’s partly why I knew I would love the white dresses we chose for my bridesmaids – they really seemed to pop against the deep blue ocean and bright green grass! I had nine bridesmaids (with a 20-year age span), so I really liked the idea of having the girls coordinate without matching exactly. Thread’s white seersucker dresses were perfect for this – each of the girls chose her favorite style, but the resulting combination still looked very pulled together. The groomsmen’s blue and white seersucker suits were from Jos A. Bank.

Dave and I really wanted to play up the ‘dinner party’ aspect of our reception. We’re both food and wine people – in fact we met while working in the wine industry. We opted for a tasting-style menu – four mini-courses – that allowed us to pair wines with each course. We chose to emphasize fresh, local ingredients – the idea was to create a menu that would be similar to the style of food we would cook for a dinner party at home. Our caterer, Black Tie, was even able to create a version of ‘Mint Love Letters’ (a favorite dish at Babbo, where Dave previously worked as a sommelier) as one of the courses!

We decided to save the dancing portion of the evening until after dinner, and instead created a playlist of ’songs about love’ (think more Magnetic Fields than Barry Manilow) to be played during the meal. Every bride says that her wedding flies by – but I actually think that saving the dancing for last somehow made the reception feel longer! I would describe the overall look of our reception as ‘French-country, with a modern twist’. The combination of the long, banquet-style, wooden tables and the clear Victoria Ghost chairs really formed the backbone of our vision. They created such a strong ‘look’ that we really didn’t have to add too many other decor components – and we were able to fit them into our budget by eliminating costly linens, chair cushions, and so on. I love the Ghost chairs – I splurged on a few to brighten up my otherwise Ikea-furnished flat in London during business school, and Dave and I have since moved them to New York. I really wanted to use them for our wedding, and was thrilled when Francie was able to source them for us! It was really helpful to have a strong central visual in order to explain the look we were going for during discussions with potential vendors. It was really obvious when someone “got it” – our florist, Laurie (of Minott’s Flowers in Portland), did an amazing job of creating a fresh, natural look. She even managed to incorporate our love of food and wine by planting old champagne cases with fresh herbs. They were absolutely beautiful, and a huge hit!

Linnea’s wore an amazing Rosa Clara gown …

This IS just a PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY wedding from start to finish! Thank you to Francie at Tangorra Wedding Planning for sending it our way!

photography by Alexandra Daley-Clark

And Congratulations to Linnea & Dave!!

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Post tags: Alexandra Daley-Clark Photography, Beachside Wedding, Bella Figura, Maine, Tangorra Wedding Planning
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Planners & Designers

Sometimes, we get to share our Little Black Book members’ own weddings, but today … LBB photographer Andrea Polito is one of the lovely maids in the wedding! Her friends Alexis and Andy were married on one of those golden October days (2008) in a gorgeous fall wedding in Dallas!

Here’s what Alexis had to tell us about her wedding…

Our floral designers from Fete des Fleurs in Dallas created the most romantic arch for the ceremony with leaves and flowers in rust, cream, and green. Our wedding was in October and we wanted something with a great fall feel, even though Dallas is still pretty green in October. The venue, Marie Gabrielle, created the perfect backdrop with its beautiful trees and gardens, and the flowers (orchids, moss, ranunculus) and small accents (Jan Barboglio iron candelabras, centerpieces, and chargers; candles everywhere, including hanging from the trees; white lights; matchbooks from For Your Party; caramel apple favors from Tart Bakery with hand-calligraphy on letterpress cards by Bella Figura; the flowy green bridesmaids dresses by Vera Wang; the sparkler send-off; our vintage Cadillac getaway car) just tied everything together.

My amazing photographer, Andrea Polito, is a close friend and did double duty at the wedding by also serving as one of my bridesmaids! She was also pregnant and in heels, but was determined to capture all of the details…which she did! She was amazing to watch and during the ceremony had two staff photographers shooting while she stood by my side! It was really great to work with a friend who also happens to be one of the best in the business! She took time to shoot all the little things that often get overlooked, and those details have been the most fun looking back on.

I wore a gown by Lela Rose, a Texan-born designer who I love. She uses unconventional fabrics in her wedding dresses, and I loved the embroidered lace detail all over the dress. I wanted something with a vintage feel that was also comfortable and timeless, and it was perfect.  I also wore a vintage diamond watch that belonged to my great grandmother and carried my grandma’s handkerchief. I found my clutch on Etsy and pinned a brooch on it that matched the ones in my hair. Even though you really couldn’t see my shoes under my dress, I felt so great peeking down at them and seeing those feathers…They are still on display in my closet!

When asked what the most important thing about their wedding was?

Probably the ceremony and vows…We wanted a very personal ceremony, so we pulled from lots of different vows, poems, and traditions to create a custom ceremony that felt like us. We come from different faith backgrounds, so we blended passages that spoke to both of us. My cousin is a judge in Dallas and one of the only people I know who actually towers over my husband, so he officiated. We recognized our grandparents who were no longer with us and had a moment of silence in honor of them. I was very close with my grandmother, in particular, and carried an embroidered handkerchief that belonged to her with her initials. My husband’s brother and best man read a unique version of “these are the hands” during the ceremony, and it was really special to have members from both sides of our family participate in the wedding.

AK Event Design was there for day-of coordination …

Andy and I both love music and knew from the beginning that we wanted a band…He said he knew it was meant to be when I professed my love for Tom Waits the first night we met. We’re both big fans of 70s and 80s rock (Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin), and I’ve always loved Bowie, The Cars, Talking Heads, etc. We listened to a ton of wedding bands online and then came across Skyrocket, a band out of Austin. They were voted Best Cover Band in Austin by the The Austin Chronicle, and we knew we’d found our band! Their setlist had everything from Hot Legs and Rock the Casbah to Brown Sugar and Whole Lotta Love…We were sold! All of the musicians in the band are also recording artists in their own right, including Trish Murphy who fronts the group, so we knew we were getting the best of both worlds…Really talented and really fun! It was a great pick, because everyone from our generation to the older generation was on the dance floor getting down! My husband even did an “unplugged” guitar solo with the band during American Girl that was the highlight of my night!

Ahhhhhh … such a pretty day! Happy Anniversary Alexis & Andy!

And thank you to Andrea Polito for sending us these beautiful images from the celebration!

Andrea has another terrific wedding that she JUST posted on her blog that also took place at Marie Gabrielle ~ Jennifer & Matthew’s wedding celebration!!

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Post tags: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito, Bella Figura, Dallas, Fete des Fleurs, For Your Party, Marie Gabrielle, Tart Bakery, Texas, Vera Wang
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

From the bride, Megan…

The goal was to have an aesthetic to compliment such a beautiful garden setting; therefore, starting with our eco-friendly invitations, from Bella Figura, the oaktree was the icon of our event. When using paper, we tried to make it double duty or cut back when possible; for example, our escort cards also doubled as our favor and we used a reply postcard which cuts back on an extra envelope. Although small, these little details can add up.

In order to keep things eco-friendly, we had a lot of help collecting vintage mason jars and medicine bottled for our centerpieces. All the baskets used to hold our flip-flops, fans, parasols and even our programs were provided by family and friends so they could feel included in the event but also cut back on purchasing new items. We used recycled fork table card holders and found a great vintage glass terrarium to hold our cards. It was fun collecting meaningful details that were also a reflection of our purpose!

We hoped to create an event that was organically elegant, a reflection of our personal style as much as our respect for the environment and fun for our guests. Our intimate setting definitely helped create an environment that was meaningful and special; we will always remember walking into the field full of friends and family we missed while being abroad and having the sun come pouring from behind the clouds!

I love how well matched this whole wedding seemed to be… all the elements Megan & Matt chose complimented their personalities and style perfectly. From their gorgeous venue, The Morton Arboretum to their fun eco-friendly details, they created an event that was as organic as it was beautiful. Thank you Olivia Leigh for sharing your gorgeous photographs with us. Also congrats to Megan & Matt!

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Post tags: Bella Figura, Chicago, Eco Friendly, Olivia Leigh, The Morton Arboretum
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Bella Figura, who we also love here at SMP, designed all of the paper goods including those ridiculously lovely table numbers below.

From Cyd at Bella Figura…

Lisa and Stephen were walked down the aisle by their families and wrote their own vows to each other. They personally selected all of the music incorporated in their ceremony, choosing only songs with special meaning for them as a couple. Staying true to keeping their event personal and unique, Lisa and Stephen hired a coffee truck (Jave the Truck) to pull up for the evening instead of simply serving coffee with dessert. Guests loved ordering lattes and hot chocolates and it was a highlight of the evening.  Friends and family danced well into the evening and Lisa’s fondest memory is how much fun she had. “People said I wouldn’t remember anything or eat anything, but I remember everything, and ate all the courses, including both flavors of cake…I loved that everyone danced, even people who don’t usually dance.  I love to dance and I was on the dance floor all night.  It was my favorite part of the evening (well, besides the ceremony). They had to push people off it at the end of the night.”

Bella Figura designed and printed their letterpress invitations, place cards, table numbers and thank you notes. Celebrations of Joy! did the day of coordination and officiated this wedding. The incredible photography was by docuvitae and the amazing flowers were by Flowerwild. The cake was from Sweet Lady Jane. Lisa and Stephen worked to infuse their event with eco-friendly details by working with Bella Figura for all of their stationery, providing transportation so guests could carpool to the site, choosing a local organic caterer, eliminating unnecessary décor, and choosing a venue known to be eco-friendly. The result was a magical, thoughtful and dreamy wedding celebration rich in personal details and special touches.

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Post tags: Bella Figura, Celebrations of Joy, Docuvitae, Flowerwild, Traditional
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

Sent to us by THREE of our favorite Little Black Book members, Docuvitae, Bella Figura and Celebrations of Joy!, this wedding is all together lovely!

From Cyd at Bella Figura…

Lisa and Stephen were married September 13, 2008 at the Malibu Nature Preserve in Malibu, California. Picking up on the flowers that bloom in the California hills in late summer, Lisa was inspired by soft romantic shades of sage green and lavender. They were married in a sycamore grove and opted to allow the beauty of the natural setting to stand on its own. The result was an enchanting celebration that exuded a soft fairy-forest feel, from a beautiful and ethereal dress by Claire Pettibone to little flower girls dressed in fair wings. Aside from the collection of lovely fairy flower girls, Lisa had just one adult attendant dressed in a stunning emerald green dress. Lisa was inspired by her backyard in the mountains growing up outside of Los Angles and wanted the day to feel lush, green, and magical. The green linens for the tables were custom made and Lisa picked up lots of silk butterflies from a local craft store and strung them everywhere she could.

More to come in just a bit!

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Post tags: Bella Figura, Belvue Manor, Celebrations of Joy, Docuvitae, Little Black Book, Traditional
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

From the bride..

“We had all four seasons in one day!” Yes, it’s true, it absolutely poured down rain from the moment we drove to the reception well into the dinner hour but the group just grabbed umbrellas and Anna was determined to get beautiful photos around the villa whether or not she had to hike around in a bit of mud….those poor Manolos!

So many lovely details… among them, the beautiful invitations designed by Little Black Book member, Bella Figura.

More to come in just a bit!

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Post tags: Bella Figura, Corbin Gurkin, Italy
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

gown by Vera Wang, photo of boutonniere, chandelier and roses by Raya Photography, invitation by Bella Figura

{Quick little side note…if you love the photos above, you are in for a treat! We are featuring this wedding tomorrow}

So here’s the deal. Choose 1 dress from SMP’s Look Book and build an inspiration board around it. It’s that simple. With 9 different designers to choose from, all of whom are completely awesome, this shouldn’t be too hard. The only challenge might be in choosing just one!

Inspiration boards should be submitted to me, abby{at}stylemepretty.com no later than next Friday, July 31st. Boards should be jpegs, ideally at 600 pixels across (we won’t be able to feature anything smaller than that). Proper photo credits, with links, must be included or your board won’t be eligible. That’s it, that’s all she wrote!

Oh WAIT…the prize. The winner will get a $250 shop card to who else but…Crate and Barrel! Can’t beat that!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bella Figura, Crate and Barrel, Fashion, Inspiration Board, Inspiration Board Contest, Raya Photography, Vera Wang
Post categories: Contests, Inspiration Boards

From Cynthia …  

Ashley and her husband, Christian, had such a gorgeous wedding in Houston this past November and put so much love and thought into every last detail that I just had to share. The bride worked with Monogram Inc. in NYC to design a gorgeous monogram that they used throughout their wedding including on the letterpress invitations we designed and printed. Their ceremony was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Houston with the reception following at The Junior League of Houston.

Ashley wore a beautiful French lace dress by Amsale, purchased at Louise Blum Bridal Salon, a gorgeous little bolero and the prettiest Kate Spade shoes, while Christian wore his own classic black tuxedo. {ps…Abby got her gown at Louise Blum’s as well … Melody became our new best friend!}

After watching an Oscar de la Renta fashion show last fall, Ashley designed her bridesmaids’ dresses based on a dress she fell in love with, working with Arlene Gamble in Houston to make her vision a reality. The beautiful rich deep purple of the bridesmaid dresses was carried throughout the event, paired with gorgeous reds and greens to create a really festive feel as a way to kick off the holiday season. 

All of the lovely photos are credited to their photographer, Tanja Lippert Photography {Little Black Book Photographer} out of San Jose, CA and I just love how blissfully happy they both look in all of their photos. It has been such a pleasure for me to flip through all of their images!

Ashley and Christian wanted to create a really warm and inviting atmosphere, combining old world elegance with modern sophistication. No stone went unturned, from coordinated paper products with a custom wedding monogram to unique wedding favors, the bride and groom paid special attention to every small detail.

Rich colored flowers and seasonal red berries filled the room, guests sipped champagne and lined up at the potato martini bar.

Guests danced the night away to the tunes from the Grady Gaines Band. Favors were fabulous chili mix packets.

Everyone enjoyed both a delicious chocolate peanut butter groom’s cake and a white almond wedding cake.

The cakes were made by Little Black Book Vendor Susie’s Cakes & Confections … both of Abby’s sisters’ wedding cakes were created by Susie! You should SEE the incredibly beautiful cake gallery on her website. And to say her flavors are fantastic is a massive understatement!

Ashley and Christian departed under a spray of sparklers!

Congratulations Ashley & Christian! And thank-you Cyd for sending us these beautiful examples of the stunning invitations your so, so, so talented team creates at Bella Figura!

Additional Vendor Credits: Save-the-Date Cards, Programs, Welcome Packets, Thank You Cards by PH Designs (Printing) ~  Calligraphy by Blooming Quill ~ Flowers by Gaye Jackson Price,  Houston & Dallas, Texas 

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Post tags: Amsale, Arlene Gamble, Bella Figura, Grady Gaines Band, Groom's Cake, Houston, Kate Spade, Letterpress Invitations, Louise Blum, Monogram Inc, Sephora, Susie's Cakes & Confections, Tanja Lippert Photography, Texas
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Photography

photographs by the oh-so-talented Frank Becker and Sarah Jane of The Time Photography

From the bride…

Bella Figura out of New York created our stationery suite and we adored the look and feel of their art.  A calligrapher created the pieces and then they were printed with letterpress.  We chose Bella Figura for the paper (the texture is dreamy!) and the “feel” of the calligrapher’s handwriting.  I loved how it felt casual but was still so pretty.  The owners were wonderful to work with and we heard so many compliments on the suite.

We used the monogram created by the calligrapher at Bella Figura throughout the wedding and reception – on the programs, ring pillow, cake, placecards, linens, menu, and cookie favors.

So much more to come!

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Post tags: Bella Figura, Kenneth Pool, The Time Photography
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

But, perhaps my favorite thing about the new site…is that they are featuring all new “favorite picks”by bloggers like myself, Oh Joy!, {frolic!} and Junebug Weddings!

We chose our favorites from some of the most innovative, the most creative designers out there…Amy Graham Stigler of Snow and Graham, Ian Koenig, Tara Hogan and so many others. If your on the fence about ordering, you can buy a sample pack for $10 where all proceeds go towards The Conservation Fund.

From their gorgeous new letterpress gallery to a pretty incredible online ordering system, Bella Figura’s new website is about as fabulous as you can get. Definitely spend some time checking out all of their new designs and gorgeous letterpress!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Graham Stigler, Bella Figura, Frolic, Ian Koenig, Junebug Weddins, Letterpress, Oh Joy!, Snow and Graham, Tara Hogan, The Conservation Fund
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Definitely check out my favorite Bella Figura invitations when you have a minute, along with the other wonderful bloggers’ picks like Oh Joy! and {frolic!}. You can actually order a sample pack online for $10 to help give you a sense of the quality and beauty of each piece, with 100% of that price going towards the Conservation Fund.

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Post tags: Bella Figura, Letterpress, Oh Joy!
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Since we didn’t get to post the remaining entries in our Color Palette Contest on Friday, we are going to finish up today then start the voting tomorrow. Let’s get right to it!

This next entry is all about white, inspired by the amazing tile ceiling on the right from Maribeth of Red Ribbon Studio’s gorgeous office…

Top Left Photo of Z Mansion in Tucson, Arizona, White Dress by BCBG on Bluefly, Invitation by Bella Figura, Ring Pillows on Martha Stewart, Cake by Martha Stewart, Florals by Martha Stewart

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BCBG, Bella Figura, Martha Stewart, Red Ribbon Studio, Ring Pillows
Post categories: Color Palettes, Contests

So, in lieu of posts today, I am going to leave you with lots of Patriotic wishes and one very Patriotic Color Palette!

Starting Top Left, Counterclockwise: Red Shoes Photo: Flickr Photo; Red bottles: Unknown; Cupcakes Image: Getty Images; Mustang photo: Tamara Lackey Photography; Fireworks image: Getty Images; Table image: Getty Images; CrackerJacks Image: Tamara Lackey Photography; Seating programs: Martha Stewart Weddings; Invitations: Bella Figura; Bridesmaid Dress: Nordstrom, David Meister Dot Print

This palette was sent to me by Wendy, the designer behind the blog A Southern Accent.  Thanks so much, Wendy. And to everyone who is celebrating the 4th today, eat an extra hot dog for me!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Southern Accent, Bella Figura, Martha Stewart, Nordstrom, Tamara Lackey Photography
Post categories: Color Palettes

Bella Figura has a handful of new designs, all of which are equally lovely. The colors that they chose are just perfect…not too bright, and yet not too subtle. Perfect for the modern bride. They have more designs online so definitely check them out when you have some time!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bella Figura, Letterpress
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery