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From Ned of Ned Jackson Photography… Not a single detail was overlooked for Kerry and Steven’s beautiful Boston wedding at the Mandarin Oriental. Kerry’s feathered shoes certainly set the tone for the rest of the day. Kerry and her bridesmaids got ready at the Mandarin Oriental while Steven and his groomsmen got ready in the couple’s beautiful apartment. From there, the ceremony was held in Boston’s North End at St. Lenoard’s Parish. The church, which is sort of tucked inconspicuously on Hanover Street, has one of the most grand ceilings of any church in Boston and provided a stunning backdrop for their vows. The altar was surrounded by beautiful white orchids and calla lilies. From there, the wedding party made a brave stop in Columbus Park in the North End to make the most of the natural light for the group shots despite the cold weather. When guests arrived in the ballroom at the Mandarin, they were not disappointed. White was certainly the theme, from the dance floor to the flowers. Orchids, orchids and more orchids covered every inch of the room. Winston Flowers did a fantastic job of varying the heights and looks of each table, while still keeping a consistent look throughout the room. The room was also lit perfectly by Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting Design. The lighting gave the tables the extra kick and really made the centerpieces pop. The couple’s main cake was decorated with fresh gardenia flowers – so not only did it look delicious, but it smelled fantastic as well. The groom’s cake was an homage to his hockey playing past. Guests finished off the night with mini cappuccinos and left with Boston Coffee Cakes.  It was certainly not a bad night to be a guest!

Photography: Ned Jackson Photography / Cinematography: Jeff Brouillet Films / Flowers: Winston Flowers / Event Design: Gina Anderson / Day-Of Coordination: Michelle Schaufeld of The Day Of / Ceremony Location: St. Leonard’s Church / Reception Location: Mandarin Oriental / Reception Lighting: Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting Design / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

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Post tags: Boston, Gina Anderson, Jeff Brouillet Films, Mandarin Oriental, Manolo Blahnik, Massachusetts, Michelle Schaufeld, Ned Jackson Photography, St. Leonard's Church, Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting Design, The Day Of, Winston Flowers
Post categories: Boston Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings

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From Shang of Shang Chen Photography: Nicole and Jonathan planned their wedding from New York City where they met. Nicole wanted to have the wedding in Boston as she grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. Jonathan grew up in England – and moved to the U.S. after college. Nicole moved to New York after college as well. They both hoped to find and build their careers in the big city, and that they did. Little did they know that they would meet each other at work and fall in love. Things began a little shy – but there were sparks from the start. They admired one another from afar for a year. After one particular round of tennis matches with their co-workers, Nicole had beat Jonathan. Jonathan asked for a rematch, which led to drinks, dinner, and the rest is history.

Nicole’s mother knew of Longwood Events and the State Room for a long time. They loved the simplicity of the space, how it is a blank canvas, and the people at Longwood Events were great to work with. Nicole had also used Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book guide to find some of her wedding vendors. Nicole and Jonathan used a silhouette of the Boston skyline on their invitations, which also worked its way onto the programs. They were married in a very personal and touching ceremony with a skyline view of Boston’s North End. We began the day with an emotional first look where Jonathan could not get over how beautiful his bride was in her Priscilla of Boston dress and veil. The ceremony included a recounting of their love story. Jonathan’s sisters were readers, and Nicole’s brother played a Beatles song that brought the entire room to tears.

The bride and groom also worked in Jonathan’s British background – one of their signature cocktails during cocktail hour was called the “Cheeky Brit” while another one was called the “Blushing American”. Their cocktail hour playlist featured music inspired by concerts that they’d attended together, including Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Keane, MGMT, Smashing Pumpkins, The Killers, just to name a few. Tables were named after locations of importance in their lives. Gorgeous, soft, and romantic roses were in the bouquets and centerpieces. The gift table featured wedding photographs from Nicole’s and Jonathan’s families. Late night snacks featured British favorites including pretzels with mustard. The favors were small British cake lollipops. All the guests danced their hearts out into the late night.

Photography: Shang Chen Photography / Venue + Catering: The State Room via Longwood Events / Rings: Deena Jewelers, LLC / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Tuxedo: Theory / Florist: John LaRoche for blueGuava / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Makeup: Faces Boston by Louise Martino / Hair: Priscilla Collins of Avanti / DJ: Beat Train Productions / Invitations + Paper: Goosefish Press / Officiant: Elly Jackson

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Post tags: Beat Train Productions, Boston, Faces Boston by Louise Martino, Goosefish Press, Jenny Yoo, Jimmy Choo, John LaRoche for blueGuava, Longwood Events, Massachusetts, Priscilla of Boston, Shang Cheng Photography, The State Room, Theory
Post categories: Boston Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Joyelle of Joyelle West Photography… The elegance and grace of the Harvard Club in Boston was juxtaposed by Linzee’s idea of incorporating a forest feel into their wedding. Linzee and Eric met ages ago while in Vermont for school, so they wanted to channel a feeling of Vermont at their wedding. Bow Street Flowers did an amazing job, using moss, berries, and pinecones, as well as ferns and forest orchids native to Vermont. Finally, hundreds of tealights everywhere lit the room, and the end result was very dim and warm lighting that made the space feel intimate and romantic on this fall night.

Wedding Photography: Joyelle West Photography / Venue: The Harvard Club / Dress: Carolina Herrera / Veil: Vintage (Bride’s grandmother’s) / Flowers and Decor: Bow Street Flowers / Uplighting: Alps / Music: The Driftwood Duet

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Post tags: ALPS, Boston, Bow Street Flowers, Carolina Herrera, Joyelle West Photography, Massachusetts, The Driftwood Duet, The Harvard Club
Post categories: Boston Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings, Traditional Elegance

From the Bride… To say that my wedding was a dream come true is an understatement. From start to finish, it was a reflection of us, our values, our style, and our love. And it turned out better than I could have imagined.

Greg and I wanted a unique, glamorous, modern, romantic wedding that celebrated love and family. After months of looking at venues in New York (where we live), we still hadn’t found the right location. At the urging of my mom, we decided to look at venues in Boston (where I’m from), so we would be sure that my side of the family could attend. Cue the Liberty Hotel. The juxtaposition of old and new, the sexy atmosphere, the amazing food, and phenomenal architecture sealed the deal. It was perfect.

At the end of the day, we wanted our wedding to reflect us and our family. Greg’s beautiful daughter Liv served as my junior bridesmaid, a role she took on with much enthusiasm and pride. My absolute favorite part of the day was during our ceremony when Greg and I presented her with a necklace with three interlocking circles – a complete surprise to her and all of our guests – that signifies our unending bond as a family. Another of my favorite moments was taking pictures with my 91-year-old grandparents. Just seeing their excitement and knowing the effort it took for them to be there made my heart practically explode. Ultimately, family was at the core of what made our wedding incredible.

I also can’t help but mention our dream team of vendors. Taylor Creative provided most of our furniture, which laid the gleaming foundation for the whole event. Sara Faella brought major glam to my wedding party – my VIP women and I all felt totally fabulous. Go Against the Grain provided our custom invitation design – it helped to set the tone in a unique way. After a negative experience with a Connecticut-based florist, we had to switch gears with only a few months to spare. Winston Flowers saved the day and worked with us to create a truly spectacular vision for the wedding. And of course, Allegro Photography was beyond wonderful from day one.

My advice for brides-to-be is to always go back to what your wedding is really about: marrying the person you love most in the world. Wedding planning may be a roller coaster, but remember to stay positive and keep focused on you as a couple, your families, and the love you share. Liv’s advice, in case you were wondering, is to have great music, lots of dancing, and tons of fun!

Wedding Photography: Allegro Photography / Wedding Venue: The Liberty Hotel / Hair + Make-up: Sara Faella + Sara’s Glam Squad / Bride’s Gown: Lazaro via Kleinfeld / Bride’s + Bridesmaids’ Earrings: TEJANI / Custom Gown Hanger: Suspended Moments by Dawn Hill Creations / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alvina Valenta via Here Comes the Bridesmaid / Junior Bridesmaid Dress: Bari Jay via Bridal Reflections / Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Floral Design: Winston Flowers / Furniture Rentals: Taylor Creative / Dance Floor + Linen Rentals: Rentals Unlimited / Lighting Design: Swank AV / Cake & Cupcakes: I Dream of Jeanne Cakes / Custom Cake Topper: Crystal Celebration / Ceremony Music: La Bella Musica / DJ: Seth Isaacs of Beat Train Productions / Officiant: Gary D. Fine / Invitation Design: Go Against the Grain / Invitation Printing: Lion in the Sun

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Post tags: Allegro Photography, Alvina Valenta, Bari Jay, Beat Train Productions, Boston, Bridal Reflections, Crystal Celebration, Gary D. Fine, Go Against the Grain, Here Comes the Bridesmaid, I Dream of Jeanne Cakes, Kleinfeld, La Bella Musica, Lazaro, Lion in the Sun, Massachusetts Weddings, Men's Wearhouse, Rentals Unlimited, Sara Faella, Sara' Glam Squad, Suspended Moments, Swank AV, Taylor Creative, Tejani, The Liberty Hotel, Winston Flowers
Post categories: Boston Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Oooh, and the romance is ever more present in this highlight film from Orange Films…

I grew up in New Jersey and always wanted to get married in my home state. We instantly fell in love with the Pleasantdale Chateau the moment we walked in. It has an intimate home-style ambiance, yet grandeur at the same time. We envisioned our wedding to be elegant and timeless, with classic tones of ivory and gold. We wanted our guests to enjoy a royal evening with gourmet food, flowing drinks and good music to dance all night.

All brides pray for good weather on their wedding day. A hurricane blowing through the Northeast never even crossed my mind throughout the planning process. When we chose August, the biggest weather concern was the groom melting in his tuxedo during the ceremony outside. Hurricane or not, the party still went on! My friends and family reassured me that the most important thing was that I was marrying the love of my life and a little rain (and maybe some wind) was not going to get in the way. I knew it was going be a perfect day the second I saw Edmond’s face during our private first meeting and all my worries disappeared. As long as we had each other, this wedding was going to be better than we imagined. We sealed this sentiment with a high-five and said “let’s do this!”

My wonderful bridesmaids entertained with cute arts & crafts while we were getting ready to keep me laughing about the circumstance. They were my lifesaver in keeping spirits light and focused on the prize of marriage. All my vendors ROCKED and made us feel like nothing was going on outside. Everyone was determined to make this the wedding of our dreams and I am truly thankful to have had such an amazing team. Edward Zilberman captured the day in the best trailer that makes me smile everytime I watch it. We were lucky to have Susan Stripling there to work her magic and capture beautiful images all indoors. And Stacey Kallenberg, my wedding planner extraordinaire pulled it all together while preventing me from panicking.

Edmond often joked the groom is only a prop at weddings. So, it was important to let his personality shine through the details as well. Boston sports is what he loves the most (second to me, of course). Our signature drink was called “The Champions” with flags of the city’s sports teams. His birthday was four days before our wedding, so I surprised him with a three-tier cake: Patriots Helmut, Red Sox Cap, Celtics basketball. The band played ‘Sweet Caroline’ as the cake was rolled into the ballroom. His reaction was priceless and one I will remember for the rest of my life. It was amusing to incorporate these details among the biggest NY sports fans on their home turf. And it’s even funnier that a girl who knows nothing about sports planned these details.

Irene was a wedding crasher who was not welcome, but she also showed us how blessed we are to have so many people who love us. We are so thankful for the people who braved the weather to share in our special day and celebrate with us. You just roll with the punches when things don’t go as planned and enjoy every minute. We had a blast and everything turned out beautifully. All our guests are still saying it was an unforgettable wedding in more ways than one. We definitely have a funny story to tell our kids one day.

Photography: Susan Stripling Photography / Cinematography: Orange Films / Flowers & Event Design: Laura Clare Fine Floral Design / Event Planning: Stacey Kallenberg, As You Wish Wedding & Event Design / Ceremony & Reception Location: Pleasantdale Chateau / Band: Craig Scott Orchestra / Invitations: Ray Chang, Roi Elfassy, Stacy Wright / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Dress: Christos / 2nd Dress: Shanghai Tang / Bridesmaid Dress: Amsale / Veil: Homa Bridal / Favors: Sweet Jane Lynn / Grooms Cake: Wendy’s Cake Art / Make-up: Danielle Arminio / Hair: Ramonda Marku

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Post tags: Amsale, As You Wish Wedding & Event Design, Ballroom Wedding, Boston, Bouquets, Centerpieces, Chinese Wedding, Christos, Color Palette Gold Purple, Craig Scott Orchestra, Danielle Arminio, Grooms Cakes, Homa Bridal, Hunter Boots, Laura Clare Fine Floral Design, Manolo Blahnik, New Jersey, New Jersey Wedding, Orange Films, Pleasantdale Chateau, Rainy Day, Rainy Day Wedding, Ramonda Marku, Ray Chang, Red Sox, Roi Elfassy, Shanghai Tang, Stacy Wright, Susan Stripling Photography, Sweet Jane Lynn, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wendy's Cake Art
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From Suzanna March Photography…Pam & James’ real wedding was featured this summer on SMP Massachusetts.  Since it’s winter, I thought I would share their engagement session with you as well.  It was shot this past February, and these two stepped up their engagement session with a vintage styled shoot and killer preppy Boston location to match!

Pam’s wardrobe is from Modcloth, hair & makeup by Sara Faella’s Glam squad really pulled together this look and the adorable vintage custom banners from Lucinda (Chocolate Creative Design) were perfection! The shoot was perfectly intimate and fun! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! xo 

Photography: Suzanna March Photography /  Hair, Make-up + Styling: Sara Faella’s Glam Squad / Banners: Lucinda Wesson of Chocolate Creative Design / Vintage Cameras, Books + Fur Stool: Photographer’s Personal Collection / Her Attire: ModCloth

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Post tags: Boston, Chocolate Creative Design, Engagement Sessions, Massachusetts Weddings, ModCloth, Sara Faella's Galm Squad, Suzanna March Photography, Vintage inspired, Winter
Post categories: Boston Weddings, engagement session, Massachusetts Weddings

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From the Bride + Groom…Our relationship began in England when Lika found herself on a year-long fellowship in London where Arash was living and working. That year together flew by quicker than either one of us could have imagined but we were certain we wanted to continue our relationship. So began the daily Skype calls and rendezvous on different continents. After a year and a half of long distance, Arash proposed. We knew that we would be living in the UK and decided to have the wedding in Massachusetts.

Putting together a wedding in seven months while still being apart was not the easiest of tasks, but we were incredibly fortunate to be able to use the MIT Endicott House for our wedding venue. It turned out to be the perfect location to host a small intimate wedding for our closest family and friends who would travel from all over the globe to be there. The acres of garden provided a perfect backdrop for the outdoor ceremony which Lika wanted, while the French Manor and its old-world style reminded us of Cambridge University where Arash studied. With the location decided on, many of our design choices fell into place – an English garden themed wedding combining vintage and modern, whimsy and elegant. Having Jenny of Jenny Moloney Photography capture the event, just made sense. Her kind way and artistic style was a perfect match. We knew she would understand the atmosphere we were trying to create.

We worked together to make the many details that made the wedding our own. The flower detail on the Amsale gown inspired the drawing used on the invitations, wedding programs, and menus. Bridesmaids picked their own dresses in slate gray and the centerpieces used vintage silver goblets and tumblers that were collected over a period of several months. To top it all, Arash’s father designed the earrings that Lika wore.

It was important to us that the ceremony reflected our Persian, Russian, English, American and Jewish backgrounds. We carefully crafted the ceremony and asked friends and family to participate by reading poetry. The readings were in three different languages and guests followed along with translations provided in the programs. We also included the Persian tradition of feeding each other honey and the Jewish tradition of breaking of the glass. We couldn’t stop there and chose ‘Stand By Me’ performed by Bon Jovi in Farsi and English for our first dance and a waltz from a Russian movie classic for the father daughter dance.

It was a magical day for us both and we are thankful for all of our family, friends and vendors who helped our vision become a reality.

Venue + Catering: MIT Endicott House / Wedding Dress: Amsale via Cristina’s Bridal / Earrings: Custom design by Father of the Groom / Groom’s Suit: Ede and Ravenscroft / Floral Design: Atmosphere & Floral Design By Tammy Becker / Wedding Photography: Jenny Moloney Photography / Cupcakes: Kick Ass Cupcakes / Invitations: The Bride / DJ + Lighting: DJ Shelly Shell

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Post tags: Amsale, Atmosphere Flowers and Design by Tammy, Boston, Cristina's Bridal, DJ Shelly Shell, Ede and Ravenscroft, Jenny Moloney Photography, Kick Ass Cupcakes, Massachusetts Weddings, MIT Endicott House
Post categories: Boston Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride…From the beginning, our goal was to have a wedding that was special for us, incorporating our own style with things that are meaningful to us. We wanted to make it warm and inviting, while celebrating our different cultures and heritage. As we are both Boston transplants, our families were traveling long distances to share our special day with us.

Many aspects of the wedding were DIY, with a lot of personal touches. We wrote our own vows (which made everyone cry and laugh), Igor played the guitar as I walked down the aisle (this was a surprise to everyone except for me), and I designed and/or printed and assembled all of the paper details, and flowers from Whole Foods. In honor of our upcoming 10 month around-the-world honeymoon, where we would spend the majority of our time in Argentina, we used a personally choreographed version of the tango for our first dance. Given that most of our guests were from out of state, we wanted to incorporate a few New England touches. Our wedding favors were handpicked apples, dipped in caramel and chocolate, from a local apple orchard.

Our venue, a turn of the century mansion in Beacon Hill, overlooks the gorgeous Boston Public Garden. To make sure our wedding memories stayed with us forever, we had guests sign and leave special notes on quilt squares, which my aunt then sewed together and presented us with the final product on our 1 year anniversary. The wedding was so much fun, and passed too quickly. We wanted to make sure we enjoyed our special day, celebrating with close friends and family, while not worrying too much about the details. We did just that, and I wouldn’t change a thing about the day.

Venue: Hampshire House / Invitations: Two Yellow Shoes / Flowers: Whole Foods / DJ: DJ Shyne / Wedding Cake: Cakes to Remember / Apple Favors: Shelburne Farm / Wedding Photography: Meredith Perdue

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Boston, Cakes to Remember, DJ Shyne, Massachusetts Weddings, Meredith Perdue, Shelburne Farms, The Hampshire House, Two Yellow Shoes, Whole Foods
Post categories: Boston Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings