Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Jen of Jen Huang Photography… Lauren and Brandon’s wedding was held in the beautiful ballroom at the historic Pierre hotel in New York City. The whole night glittered with glam, from Lauren’s beautiful Bergdorf Goodman dress to her Manolo Blahnik shoes. Lauren’s understated elegance matched her down-to-earth, smiley personality wonderfully, and Brandon looked handsome next to her in his Paul Smith suit. Portraits were taken nearby in New York’s Central Park, which was full of autumn foliage. Guests mingled during a cocktail hour outside the Pierre’s ballroom and were escorted inside the stunning room for dinner. Rose-colored lights shone on gorgeously appointed tables dripping with romantic flowers. The only word to describe the night would be magnificent!

Wedding Photography: Jen Huang Photography / Wedding Venue + Catering: The Pierre in New York City, New York / Flowers: Designs by Sam Davis / Wedding Dress: Elizabeth Fillmore via Bergdorf Goodman / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaids’s Dresses: twobirds / Groom’s Suit: Paul Smith / Band: Charles St. Paul Band / Invites: Judy Palen Designs via Bloomingdale’s

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Charles St. Paul Band, Designs by Sam Davis, Elizabeth Fillmore, Gold, Jen Huang Photography, Judy Palen Designs, Manolo Blahnik, New York, New York City, Paul Smith, Pink, The Pierre, twobirds, White
Post categories: New York City Weddings, New York Weddings

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Our wedding was my dream combination of my past, present and future. My husband and I met in ski academy high school in Vermont but fell out of touch for over 10 years before we literally ran into each other on the streets of Manhattan, where we were both living. We fell in love with each other as friends and then he became the love of my life. Our photographers were also friends of ours from high school. My bridesmaids are the family I found when I moved to the big city from Vermont. The wedding was in Watch Hill, the town where I want my grandchildren to play on the beach in, as my cousins and I did as children.  The gorgeous church across from the Ocean House holds memories of my grandparents and now my wedding. I was left my grandmother’s engagement ring after she passed away, and my husband also was given his grandmother’s ring when she passed away.  I wore them both along with a cross given to me by my parents on a chain my husband gave me before the wedding.  It was a way to have our loved ones that could not be there close to our hearts. I feel so blessed to have this wonderful town in my life and it was the perfect place to get married.  

The theme was inspired by the colors of sea glass.  The focus was on having a wonderful weekend.  Incredible food, bright and sunny drinks and amazing company made it the best weekend of my life.  

Special thanks to Carla from Elements Flowers who was not only an amazing help with the flowers but everything else we did, and to Geoff who made sure our photo booth was a huge success! We custom-ordered our frames from Etsy after trying for a month to find cute photo booth frames and I was thrilled with the result.  The bridesmaids’ dresses were custom-made by the extremely talented and sweet Katie Ermilio. Our parents were the most amazing support team during the entire wedding process. It was amazing to have our wonderful parents, incredible friends and beautiful memories made during our sunny wedding weekend in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

Wedding Photography: Lauren + Abby Photography / Flowers: Carla of Elements Flowers / Wedding Planning: The Bride’s Family / Ceremony: Watch Hill Chapel in Watch Hill, Rhode Island / Reception: Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island / Photobooth: Photobooth Planet (401-316-1423) / Wedding Invitations: Mr. Boddington / Save-the-Dates: Julie Holcomb / Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta via Bergdorf Goodman / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Earrings: A Gift from the Maid of Honor / Bracelet: Borrowed from the Groom’s Mother / Bridemaids’ Dresses: Custom by Katie Ermilio / Bridesmaids’ Shoes: Halston Heritage / Flower Girl Dress: Ralph Lauren via Saks Fifth Avenue / Photobooth Frames: Custom by 2DogsWoodWorking

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Post tags: 2DogsWoodWorking, Bergdorf Goodman, Blue, Christian Louboutin, Elements Flowers, Halston Heritage, Julie Holcomb, Katie Ermilio, Lauren + Abby Photography, Mr. Boddington, Ocean House, Oscar De La Renta, Photobooth Planet, Ralph Lauren, Rhode Island, Saks Fifth Avenue, Watch Hill, Watch Hill Chapel, White
Post categories: The Blog

And just when you think you couldn’t possibly be happier with all this wedding goodness, Karen and Chandler’s New York City Civil Ceremony is going to just make your day and then some…and don’t forget, the full gallery is well…full…of both of these gorgeous events!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride, Karen Wise, on her Montreal Wedding…As a wedding photographer who has photographed over 300 weddings, I found making choices for my own wedding both simple and quite challenging. In the past few years, I had taken note of what I’d like to have at my wedding after seeing so many unique events. The most difficult part about wedding planning was choosing our location. Chandler and I knew we wanted our wedding to be outside of New York City. I’ve photographed weddings at MANY New York venues and Chandler, being a director/cinematographer had worked almost everywhere in NY too. We wanted to choose something new and unique to both of us. I grew up in Montreal and so looking there seemed like a good idea. My family still lives there and Chandler and I always enjoy visiting. At first we thought we’d want our wedding to take place amidst the pine trees and mountains north of Montreal in Tremblant where we ski every winter. However, since we knew we’d have guests coming from all over and as far away as Vancouver, LA and Barbados, we changed our minds and decided to keep it simple. Old Montreal seemed like the best option, as it is located in the most quaint and historic part of the city. We knew it would lend a picturesque backdrop to our pictures.

Thankfully we were able to bring our photographer (my colleague, the talented Heather Waraksa) from New York. She had photographed our civil ceremony in October, and we loved working with her! We hired Four Branches from Brooklyn to design our chuppah and Mr. Boddington’s Studio in NYC to design our invitations. The rest of our vendors we searched for locally, starting from scratch, researching Canadian vendors from afar. I found that it took a few months to seek out the best talent, as not every one of our vendors had a website or was well-advertised on blogs as they are here. I love beautiful design, so the style of our stationery, the fashion, colors and textures of the décor were fun for me to coordinate. We worked with very talented local Montreal vendors like Flore (floral design), Kostar (lighting design), Cocoa Locale (baker), Caroline Théoret (makeup/hair) and DJ Toddy Flores who rocked the party!

We danced our first dance to Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and had all of our guests join in. Chandler and I had briefly choreographed it in our Brooklyn kitchen but only rehearsed it once in the elevator heading down from cocktail hour. Not a lot of time to perfect it, but supposedly it was a hit! Nick Drake and Cat Power were amongst our initial choices but in the end we decided that upbeat was the way to go. DJ Toddy Flores rocked the rest of the party mixing from a list we’d made of our favorite tracks (mostly 80’s and Hip Hop). Verses, Hotel Nelligan’s restaurant’s steak au poivre and Arctic char melted in your mouth. The chocolate chai and vanilla rose cupcakes from Cocoa Locale were perfection.

From the Bride, Karen Wise, about her NYC Civil Ceremony…Our civil ceremony took place in Manhattan, NY. It was photographed by Heather Waraksa, and Saipua provided the bouquet and boutonniere. I wore a light-colored Burberry coat, Louboutin nude patent leather shoes and a red dress with white gloves… I was inspired by Mad Men at the time that I created my outfit!

We knew we would be planning a bigger wedding in Montreal, Canada in the Spring, but we wanted to do this little ceremony first, partly to get my green card process under way. Although we had been dating for 3 years prior to the ceremony, our parents still hadn’t met, so we thought this would be a fun day to have both sides meet! My sister was also there, as well as Chandler’s brother and sister-in-law.

It was a beautiful sunny day in the Fall, it was windy and cool, but really pretty for the photos. We started the day at my home/studio with hair and makeup and then did a few portraits around Park Slope before jumping in a car service to drive to City Hall before the 3pm closing. Since we had a few hours before our reservation at del Posto restaurant in Manhattan, we had some tea, drinks and a snack at The Standard Hotel while we waited. Heather shot some photos after the ceremony in the newly designed City Hall. The light was beautiful as it poured in through their large windows. We also got the chance to shoot in the streets and in front of the Standard before saying goodbye to Heather.

Montreal Wedding – Wedding Photography: Heather Waraksa / Floral Design: Flore / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier via Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier / Make-up + Hair: Studio Caroline Théoret / Cupcakes + Wedding Cake: Cocoa Locale / Stationery: Mr. Boddington Studio / Calligraphy: Primele / Signs: Baumbirdy / Vintage Hair Piece: Sara Gabriel via Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Earrings: Clay Pot / Bride’s Rings: Jessica Fields via Clay Pot / Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor / Groom’s Suit: Custom Men / Groom’s Shoes: Bruno Magli / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Flower Girl’s Dress: April Cornell via La Cache / Lighting: Kostar Lighting

NYC Civil Ceremony – Wedding Photography: Heather Waraksa / Flowers: Saipua / Coat: Burberry / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Groom’s Suit + Tie: Banana Republic / Earrings: Alexis Bittar / Red Dress: Diane von Furstenberg / Hair Piece: Renee Rivera via Bergdorf Goodman / White Gloves: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon / Negligee: La Perla / Hair: Martha Ellen Mabry / Make-up: Sally Duvall / Hand Bag: Moyna

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Post tags: Alexis Bittar, Ann Taylor, April Cornell, Banana Republic, Baumbirdy, Bergdorf Goodman, Bruno Magli, burberry, Canada Weddings, Christian Louboutin, Clay Pot, Cocoa Locale, Custom Men, Diane von Furstenberg, Flore, Gabriella New York Bridal Salon, Heather Waraksa, Jessica Fields, Kate Spade, Kostar Lighting, La Cache, La Perla, Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier, Martha Ellen Mabry, Monique Lhuillier, montreal, Moyna, Mr. Boddington's Studio, New York Weddings, Primele, Renee Rivera, Saipua, Sally Duvall, Sara Gabriel, Studio Caroline Theoret
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery!

From Michelle Walker Photography… In June 2010, Sharon Martin and Joel Savitzky wed at Auberge de Soleil in beautiful Rutherford, California.  Sharon and Joel, New York foodies inspired by all things French naturally picked Napa for their destination wedding.  At the time of the wedding Sharon was the Manager of Creative Services in the Marketing Department for Tiffany & Company in New York! Specializing in the design and installation of window displays, she brought her attention to detail and elegance to her wedding.

Notable design elements included the table numbers, which were enameled vintage French street number signs.  The bride visited Paris every summer with her mother and has fond memories of the blue and white street signs.  The unusual larger numbers (Table 24, Table 181) gave a sense of whimsy and a hint of disorder to keep the guests entertained.  The escort “tree” was filled with a card for each guest inspired by French postcards.  The color of the vintage postage stamp cleverly indicated which entrée the guest was having, without the guests even realizing it.  A custom cake-topper was ordered in Sharon and Joel’s likeness, down to the floral bouquet, groom’s tie and pretty red hair on the bride.

Arrangements were set in glass bottles that belonged to the bride’s grandmothers, collected over a fifty-year span.  They were shipped to the florist, and honored her grandparents who couldn’t attend the wedding.  The groom, an advertising and marketing art director, designed all of the stationery for the wedding, including their wedding invitation.

Sharon and Joel stayed at the private estate of Newton Winery, featuring stunning gardens and architecture, which meant stunning photos!

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Location: Auberge du Soleil / Wedding Photography: Michelle Walker Photography / Wedding Coordinator: Suzy Berberian Weddings & Events / Floral Design: Tesoro Flowers / Wedding Cupcakes: Kara’s Cupcakes / Hair & Makeup: The Powder Room / Ceremony Music: Davis Ramey Musical Services / Dinner & Dancing Music: AMS Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Groom’s Suit: Ralph Lauren Black Label / Groom’s Shoes: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Tie: Gucci / Bride’s Jewelry: Nicole Miller / Bride’s Hairpiece: Ce Jaune Bridal Vintage / Wedding Bands: Tiffany & Co. / Bridesmaid Dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaid Jewelry: Sharon Martin Designs / Groomsmen Suits: J. Crew / Groomsmen Ties: Bergdorf Goodman / Cake Topper: Together Forever / Table Numbers: The Pudding Store Vintage / Honey favors: Marshall’s Farm Natural Honey / Calligraphy: Katherine Knauer / Officiant: Kimberly Thompson, A Beautiful Ceremony

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: AMS Entertainment, Auberge du Soleil, Bergdorf Goodman, CA, Ce Jaune Bridal Vintage, Davis Ramey Musical Services, Destination Wedding, French Inspired, Green, Gucci, Hugo Boss, J. Crew, Kara's Cupcakes, Katherine Knauer, Manolo Blahnik, Marshalls Honey, Melissa Sweet, Michelle Walker Photography, Napa Valley, Nicole Miller, Northern California Wedding, Priscilla of Boston, Purple, Ralph Lauren, Rutherford, Sharon Martin Designs, Suzy Berberian Weddings & Events, Tesoro Flowers, The Powder Room, The Pudding Store, Tiffany & Co., Together Forever, Vintage Touches, Wine Country Wedding
Post categories: California Weddings, Napa Valley Weddings, Traditional Elegance

First, the subtle but rich bundles of exquisite  flowers amassed in elegant, old-world silver vessels. Followed closely by one single, simple bloom. A ‘catch your breath’ kind of moment …

… bunches of joy … simple love …

Lauren had this to say …

It is one of the great privileges that I am blessed with the opportunity to share very intimate moments of my couples’ lives. I mentioned to Michele that she reminds me of Ali McGraw in Love Story…such down to earth, graceful beauty …

She & Chick are the sort of true New Yorkers who love their city for all the old romance it continues to embody.

from the beautiful bride …

“The setting of our wedding was the Council on Foreign Relations ~ the Harold Pratt House ~ and we were lucky enough to have access to all of the wonderful rooms of this classic Park Avenue limestone mansion. The mansion represents old New York at its best, lots of mahogany, marble and understated elegance. I wanted guests at our wedding to feel as though they were guests at a very fancy dinner party, right out of an Edith Wharton novel. We loved being able to celebrate different portions of the evening in different rooms, ceremony in the drawing room, cocktails in the library, dinner in the ballroom, dancing in the study, dessert in the living room, etc. While our wedding was a very formal black-tie event, it was very intimate and cozy, with candles and fireplaces everywhere. There were tons of flowers, ranunculas, peonies, hydrangeas, roses, tulips, etc, no two arrangements were alike, and the goal of this late fall wedding was to incorporate as many rich jewel tones as possible. The food was delicious and included many local and seasonal ingredients. This evening surpassed all of our dreams and I really owe it all to my mom, who worked tirelessly to make everything absolutely perfect. And it was!

{from eddye … hooray for Michele’s mom!}

more from Lauren …

What resonates most with me as a photographer are the rituals of a ceremony, a couples’ body language, and how people find comfort within a space. Seeing Chick tear up at the first sight of Michele brought me to tears…and then again, under the Chuppah, the way in which Michele gently embraced Chick’s face just as they are about to kiss…this gesture I had seen before when we spent some time shooting their engagement photos. It tells me they are so at ease and gentle with each other. My preference in shooting is always to be in the midst of the goings ons…no long lens and off to the side for me. I want to feel immersed in the space & the emotion of what is happening. Often I find myself in very tight little spots in order to capture a truly unique perspective of what’s going on. I pride myself on being like a very stealth cat and not disturbing the setting…scooting in and out for just enough time to catch a few frames.

What else I remember of the day?  How beautifully illuminated the rooms felt…the Chuppah appeared as though it was bathed in a lovely white glow…and the dinner in the ballroom had a sparkle of rich color everywhere.

from Lauren’s blog …

As I’ve look through the photographs during my editing process, what strikes me most are the joyful expressions on Michele and Chick’s faces. I could tell you all about how elegant everything was, how much fun everyone was having, how delicious the food was, but mostly I want to tell you about the smiles I saw radiating from this couple…

Presenting … Michele and Chick …

What a totally awesome couple!

And for a change, we’re going to give you each and every wedding vendor that we know of!

Catering: Abigail Kirsch Events; Event Designer: Frank Alexander, NYC (Flowers, Chuppah & Candles); Music: Hank Lane Productions; Lighting: GG Productions; Gown: Monique Lhuillier; Shoes: Rene Caovilla; Hair: Mahogany at Bergdorf Goodman; Makeup: Mercedes at Bergdorf Goodman; Gown Assistant/Dresser: Anna Tenorio from Kleinfeld ( she was truly wonderful!); Groom Tuxedo: Ermengildo Zegna custom made at Bergdorf Goodman; Stationery: Vera Wang; Cake- Carl Dean Heddon (designed it to look similar to Michele’s gown).

Thank you SO much Lauren & Michele and Chick for sharing all of these fantastic images from your phenomenal wedding day!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Abigail Kirsch Events, Bergdorf Goodman, Carl Dean Heddon, Chuppah, Frank Alexander NYC, Hank Lane Productions, Harold Pratt House, Kleinfeld, Lauren Rutten Photography, Monique Lhuillier, New York Weddings, Rene Caovilla
Post categories: Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography