On a beautiful August morning in the Old Church of Portland, Oregon, Lindsay Reichardt married her high school sweetheart, James Buckles. With a long-stemmed, gardenia studded, bouquet of pink roses in one hand, Lindsay’s other hand clung tightly to her new hubby for balance all day, as her Vera Wang ball gown of swirled tulle could barely squeeze down the isle.

A vintage Bentley drove Mr. & Mrs. Buckles away to a private photo shoot while guests made their way to the Heritage ballroom in the Governor Hotel for the reception. Guests were greeted by the passing of savory hors d’ouveres: Jake’s famous crab cakes, cucumber tea sandwiches, salmon lox bruschetta, quiche, brie en croute bites, and caviar deviled eggs as well as a Parisian-inspired Patisserie spread, which displayed sweet treats: a croquembouche of cream puffs, topiary trees of fresh strawberries, triple berry and lemon tarts, panna cotta parfaits, meringues, biscotti, madeline cakes, palmiers, macaroons, brioche, mini-muffins, cheesecake bites, éclairs and napoleons!

Perfectly pruned boxwoods, floating gardenias and lush arrangements of hydrangea, sugared apricots, raspberry vines and cascading jasmine transformed the reception into a French garden. Placecards and menus were lined to mimic the border of Laudree macaroon boxes, sugar cubes rested inside rose petals on china teacups and vintage botanical print reproductions by Pierre-Joseph Redoute (the official court painter of Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution) differentiated each tulle-layered table. The head table was overflowing with salal garlands, rustic candles, mercury glass votives, fresh fruit, cinched tulle and mossy, terrarium-encased arrangements.

When guests made their way to the bar, they had a number of specialty drink choices. There were five champagne cocktails options, all with fun names, for example, the “Blissful Bellini” featured peach puree, vanilla vodka, champagne and fresh mint, while the “Honeymooner” featured ginger syrup, lime juice, champagne and cucumber. Those still waking up also had 5 drink options at an Espresso station, for example, the “Crème Brulee Cappuccino” with cinnamon-infused espresso and raw cinnamon and sugar dusting, or an “Opposites Attract” caramel macchiato given sweet caramel drizzle and a dash of sea salt.

Crepes au citron, dulche de leche French toast and strawberry shortcake waffles were plated during brunch and Jake’s servers then circulated the ballroom offering hot sausage and bacon as well. Finally, as if guests weren’t already stuffed to the brim, Lindsay and James cut their cake: a five-tiered fresh strawberry and cream cheese masterpiece with diamond quilting, silver dragee detail, pink macaroons and a “B” cameo. After such an indulgent day, “favors” were simply notes letting the guests know that a donation had been made to the Portland Rescue Mission in their honor. 

Bridal Gown: Vera Wang / Bridal belt: Monique Lhullier / Bridal shoes: Valentino / Bridal headpiece & bracelet: Jenny Packham / Bridal earrings: J.Crew / Bridesmaids dresses: Monique Lhullier / Bridesmaids earrings: Anthropologie / Makeup & hair: Madeline Roosevelt / Stationery: French Lil Designs / Ceremony site: The Old Church / Reception site: The Governor Hotel, Heritage Ballroom / Reception catering: Jake’s Catering / Cake & Patisserie: Papa Haydn’s / Espresso Bar: Espresso Elegance / Specialty China: West Coast Events / Flowers: Geranium Lake / Transportation: Imperial Limousines / Photography: Altura Studio

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Altura Studio, Anthropologie, Black and White, Bouquets, Breakfast, Brunch, Brunch Weddings, Centerpieces, Champagne, Champagne Bar, Chanel, Chiavari Chairs, Color Palette Black White Pink, Color Palette Pink, Croissants, Croquembouche, Dessert Bar, Espresso, Espresso Bar, French Lil Designs, Geranium Lake Imperial Limousines, Governor Hotel, J. Crew, Jake's Catering, Jenny Packham, Macrons, Madeline Roosevelt, Marie Antoinette, Monique Lhullier, Morning Weddings, Neutral Color Palette, Oregon, Papa Haydns' Espresso Elegance, Patisserie, Pink Champagne, Portland, Roses, Strawberries, Stripes, The Old Church, Traditional Elegance, Valentino, Vera Wang, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, West Coast Events
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From Katie Neal Photo…Michelle and Curtis decided to elope and get married, much to the surprise of all of their friends. The only people that knew about their surprise courthouse wedding were a select few family members. The morning of the elopement, Michelle Facebooked/Twittered, “It’s a beautiful day to get married, so that’s what I’m gonna do.” Of course, they got tons of questions and comments asking for details, but for the rest of the day they ignored everything, and made it about just them two and their closest family. Their “reception” was a 5 course Indian feast for them to catch up with their family and truly soak in the day. And of course, they worked in some fun fashion and thoughtful details. It goes to show that if you don’t want to have a huge extravagant affair, there are cute ways of working in your personality, while making your day incredibly special and memorable.

Photography: Katie Neal Photo / Flowers: French Buckets / Hairpiece: Be Something New / Make-up: Kimberly Bragalone / Hair: Jen Alvarez of AG Lounge / Dress: For Joseph

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: AG Lounge, Be Something New, Birdcage Veil, Black and White, Elopement, For Joseph, French Buckets, Katie Neal Photo, Kimberly Bragalone
Post categories: California Weddings, Contemporary, San Diego Weddings

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From Stout Photography: He lived in Canada. She lived in the US. They met in Europe. Their circumstances weren’t exactly ideal, logistically; but Whitney and Kyle knew they’d found something rare that simply could not be ignored. With the help of Skype, Facebook, and frequent-flyer miles, Whitney and Kyle managed to defy the odds and make a long-distance relationship not only work, but thrive. Because of their distance, a big part of Whitney and Kyle’s relationship is communication; consequently, they do that very well. After several years, Kyle was able to move to the states last month and has several job offers lined up for him once his visa is approved and final. Whitney and Kyle share an incredible admiration for one another and they have no reservations about letting that show when in front of my camera. They married at the fabulous Citizen Hotel in Downtown Sacramento. Whitney used a very simple but elegant color pallet; white black and golds and it came together beautifully. No detail was spared and the wedding was absolutely gorgeous.

Wedding Photography: Stout Photography / Reception Location: The Citizen Hotel / Flowers: Blooms by Martha Andrews / Wedding Cake: Safeway Bakery / Bride’ Shoes: Steve Madden / Wedding Gown: Bridal Mart / Bridesmaid Dress: Macys / Jewelry: Bride’s Grandmother

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black and White, Blooms by Martha Andrews, California Weddings, Gold, Peonies, Sacramento, Safeway Bakery, Steve Madden, Stout Photography, The Citizen Hotel, Traditional Elegance
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From cHill Weddings… Christine and Mike were wed in downtown Philadelphia in a new chic boutique hotel called Hotel Palomar. A venue that is best suited for a smaller wedding, their 70 count guest list was perfect. Christine and Mike knew what was important to them, and photography was on the top of their list.  And they did the right thing and hired Jesse and Whit of Our Labor of Love Photography!  The Smilebooth was set up for the reception and it ended up being a hit.

Their ceremony was exceptionally memorable because children were running around, giggling, and crying.  For the first time, I witnessed a couple who didn’t care! And let it roll off their shoulders because they loved kids too, and they were all very much part of the wedding. Skype was a great tool for the wedding, for Mike’s grandparents who couldn’t attend the wedding.  They watched the ceremony, heard all the toasts, and even got to dance with some guests as a cousin worked the dance floor with the laptop.

But what I loved the most were Christine and Mike’s detailed paper products.  I especially loved their placecards – which were hand calligraphied paper flowers that we placed on each champagne toast glass.  For escort cards, guests received a colored button that lead them to their seats, welcomed by a candy bar wrapped with the same colored paper. It was a fun, intimate affair with awesome music provided by the Remixologists.

Wedding Photography: Jesse and Whit of Our Labor of Love / Photo Booth: Smilebooth, Our Labor of Love / Floral Design: Sweet Pea / Day of Coordination: cHill Weddings, LLC / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Hotel Palomar / Reception Music: The Remixologists / Wedding Invitations: Bella Figura / Program Stamp: Emilie Friday / Calligraphy: Patricia Mumau of Primele / Wedding Dress: Anne Barge / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anne Barge, Bella Figura, Black and White, cHill Weddings, Emilie Friday, Hotel Palomar, Kate Spade, LLC, Our Labor of Love, Patricia Mumau, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Primele, Smilebooth, Sweet Pea Flowers, The Remixologists, White and Pink
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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Chris and I met 5 years ago through a friendly game of touch football. We instantly felt a connection; we have a lot in common. We also share a strong sense of family which was why it was so important that we had roles for all of our immediate family in the wedding.

We went with a black and white theme because we wanted a wedding that was classic and elegant. My father walked me down the aisle, but rather than asking him to “give me away,” we acknowledged all of our parents and asked them all to bless and support our marriage. We also had both our mothers as witnesses. We wrote our own vows because we wanted everything to be honest and from the heart. This resulted in some very touching moments, and lots of laughs and tears.

We held our wedding at Old Parliament House, which is a beautiful historic building that my great-grandfather helped build in the 1920’s. We later found out that Chris’ grandfather had helped tend to the gardens! As our family is very important to us, we felt it was symbolic of how our histories brought us to this day. Kelly Tunney had been the photographer at my sister’s wedding, so as soon as we got engaged I knew I needed to call her. She is so relaxed and easy going which made us feel very comfortable.  We’ve received so many great comments on the gorgeous photos that Kelly took.

Chris is known for enjoying a punt on the horses, so we decided to incorporate this into the reception; we used the names of famous horses as table names. The wedding favours doubled as place cards: mini-envelopes with guest names on the front, and a Trifecta mystery bet enclosed within.  Chris read out the race winners at the start of the reception. Unfortunately there were no winning tickets, but it was still a fun and exciting way to start off the reception.

I wrote a poem about not worrying about the little things which was read during the ceremony.  One of the lines was “you may get rained on now and then, but that is by the by…” The irony was that it rained on our wedding day, so it was quite funny when that line was read out. There are some little moments like that from our wedding day that I will never forget, like when I first saw Chris at the end of the aisle, or when he shed a tear whilst saying his vows.

Photographer:  Kelly Tunney / Wedding Gown Designer:  Lisa Gowing / Jewelry:  Creations Jewellers of Manuka /Floral Designer: Juliana of Botanics on Jardine / Invitations: Invitations by Melita / Cake + Desserts: Cakes of Your Dreams / Hair dresser: Igor & Anna of Gossip Hair / Dance instructor: Fiona of Danzon / Ceremony Venue: Old Parliament House / Reception Venue: The Boathouse by the Lake

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Post tags: Australia, Black and White, Botanics on Jardine, Cakes of Your Dreams, Creations Jewellers of Manuka, Danzon, Invitations by Melita, Kelly Tunney, Lisa Gowing, Old Parliament House, The Boathouse by the Lake
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

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From Ginny Branch… Our inspiration for the shoot was a moody mixing of graphic black and whites, softened by pale blues. We wanted to capture the decadence of the Belle Epoch with the romance and flirtiness of the 30s and 60s. The Pink Palace is a perfect grandiose environment for a glamorous wedding with its gardens, high ceilings, extensive murals, and opulent furniture. The photos are snapshots of the bride-off-duty, once all of the formalities and obligations of the day are over… a bride sneaking off with her groom’s top hat, stealing a moment with a grand piano, dancing atop an elaborate tablescape, hiding away amongst the flowers in the powder room. This shoot is for the timeless bride who still wants to break a *few* rules.

Wedding Photography: Harwell Photography / Styling: Ginny Branch Styling & Designs / Wedding Gowns: Chaviano Couture + Kelly’s Closet + Winnie Couture / Wedding Flowers: Amy Osaba / Jewelry: Mucklow’s Fine Jewelry / Hair & Makeup: MaraZ / Wedding Stationary: MM Ink / Ring Bearer Bowls: Paloma’s Nest / Hair Accessories: Nicholas Kniel / Venue: Pink Palace

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Osaba, Atlanta, Black and White, Chaviano Couture, Georgia, Ginny Branch Styling & Designs, Harwell Photography, Kelly's Closet, MaraZ, MMInk, Mucklows Fine Jewelry, Nicholas Kniel, Paloma's Nest, Photo Shoot, Pink Palace, Vintage Chic, Winnie Couture
Post categories: Atlanta Weddings, Georgia Weddings, Photo Shoot

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From Cuppa Photography… Louie and Mary Elisa are chic without the pretension, edgy without being sharp. When they invited me to capture their big day, I knew I was in for artsy cool and urban modern and was so excited to see what they’d come up with! I got my first hint of what was to come when I received one of their gorgeous invitations, completely designed and hand letter pressed by the bride, inspired by the handbills to a rock show. I think it can be really difficult to design a wedding that falls on a holiday like Halloween without having the decor feel a bit kitschy, but Mary Elisa managed to even use traditional Halloween colors and still have it feel contemporary and modern and sophisticated! Their mutual love of music, especially punk,  was one of the shared delights that brought Louie and Mary Elisa together in the beginning and having that theme run through their day kept it so fun and personal. Their invitations and scrumptious cupcakes featured guitar picks stamped with their wedding logo and their guestbook was a beautiful electric guitar covered in messages of love from their guests. They incorporated a touch of Halloween in the costume props in their photobooth, and their guests spent the evening laughing hysterically in witch hats and sombreros! It was truly a delight to capture Louie and Mary Elisa’s unquestionable love for one another and the laughter and fun that defined their wedding day!

Wedding Photography and Photobooth: Cuppa Photography / Wedding Flowers: Celeste’s Flower Barn / Wedding Cupcakes: Michelle’s Pastries / Hair: 26th on Hanover / Wedding Ceremony Location: St. Joseph’s Cathedral / Wedding Reception Location: The French Building at The New Hampshire Institute of Art / Invitations: The Bride / Shoes: Converse / Dress: J. Crew

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 26th on Hanover, Black and White, Celeste's Flower Barn, Converse, Cuppa Photography, Halloween, J. Crew, Michelle's Pastries, New Hampshire, Orange, photobooth, rock & roll, St. Joseph's Cathedral, The New Hampshire Institute of Art
Post categories: Contemporary, Whimsical

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We got engaged in December a few days before Christmas. Neal was very romantic and pulled off a surprise romantic mid week dinner at the McNinch house (a very romantic restaurant in Charlotte) at the chef’s table no less. He told me we were going to a holiday party for his work – but no, it was a ring, roses and a romantic evening for two! We savored it together and let family and friends in on the big news the next day.

Planning the wedding was a whirlwind! One of the highlights was dress shopping at Kleinfeld’s in New York with my mom and 2 sister’s! I really enjoyed the creative process of wedding design with my wedding planner (Dina Berg Blazek), mom, and Todd Crawford (the florist) after deciding on the venue – the new Ritz in Uptown Charlotte, the perfect combination of modern classic! I wanted it very modern, organic and classic with a theme of white in the reception, but at the last minute decided on a raspberry/pink theme for the cocktail hour for a punch of color and absolutely loved it!!

Ceremony: Christ Lutheran Church / Reception Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel / Cake: Cake Lady Jill / Flowers: Crawford & Company Fine Flowers / Gown: Carolina Herrera / Shoes: Manola Blahnik / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Melissa Sweet / Invitations: Salutations / Invitation Calligraphy from Yellow House / Hairstylist for wedding: Jami Svay / Placecard Calligraphy: Bonnie Clark / Music + Entertainment: Audio to Go, Drew Parham and Noel Friedline Quartet / Photography: Kristin Vining Photography / Rental providers (tents, linens, tables, chairs, etc.): Party Tables (linen), Party Reflections (dancefloor, chairs, tables), American Furniture Rental (soft furniture), Wink Lighting and Swank AV (lighting) / Specialty Gifts: Welcome Amenities for out of town guests by DBB Events / Wedding Planner: Dina Berg Blazek Events / Ice Sculpture: Ice Work, Ice Sensations / Film: Dreamlight Films /

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 28 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black and White, Charlotte, Kristin Vining, North Caroline, Ritz Carlton
Post categories: Contemporary, Traditional Elegance