I fell in love with John because of playfulness and his wit.  After I accepted his proposal, he immediately gave me a card that said, “Congratulations on your engagement.”  Then he cheerfully added, “Allow me to be the first.”

Our wedding was an opportunity to reconnect and revitalize our community.  We chose local vendors from our home in Portland, Oregon and prioritized a lovely setting, delicious food, wonderful music, and a sense of humor.  Family and friends traveled to Garden Vineyards in Hillsboro, Oregon for a garden party.  We greeted guests with family wedding photos and included a snap of our favorite newlyweds, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Programs with apricot branches designed by Studio Olivine also welcomed guests.  John’s mom made everyone beautiful handkerchiefs, which slid into the programs’ fronts pockets.  Guests posed with silly props to snap instant photos they taped in a handmade guest book.  It is hilarious to see how the pictures evolve throughout the evening.  By the final pages, our cousins are posing with our college friends under wine-infused captions such as “new friends.”

John is a violinist and worked with Classical Revolution PDX to transcribe string music for our ceremony.  We walked down the aisle to Radiohead, the Velvet Underground, and Nina Simone.  Our dear friends Sara-Catherine Wheatley and W.C. Beck also sang tunes by Laura Veirs and Johnny Cash.  The most meaningful part of our ceremony was when we explained why we wanted to marry one another.  John once again cracked everyone up when he said, “I love how you challenge me in overt and subtle ways.  You told me you were tired of cooking most meals, then you bought me a waffle iron.”

Pam Zsorsi, owner of Ink & Peat, designed breathtaking floral arrangements.  Both our moms are avid gardeners and Pam’s creative use of seasonal flowers delighted them.  Pam compiled full centerpieces with peaches and creams punctuated by bright and pale yellows.  She incorporated Karamel Antik garden roses, Peach Avalanche roses, pale peach hypercium, unripe blackberries, peaches and dream dahlias, coxcomb, lemons, and feverfew.

Art of Catering prepared delicious dishes with fresh, local produce.  We served baguettes with salmon terrine, tomato mozzarella on focaccia, and risotto cakes at cocktail stations so everyone could spread out and enjoy the vineyard.  Our family and friends played croquet and drank estate-grown wines.  Bakery Bar made five cakes in flavors ranging from orange poppy seed to red velvet, which we supplemented with miniature lemon-basil and chocolate cinnamon macaroons from Little Bird Bistro.  Kate Greiner made the festive garland we strung as cake toppers.

Once my dad gave his heart-melting toast, W.C. Beck jumped on stage with the band and unexpectedly played Mary Jane’s Last Dance.  You probably remember this as a goodbye love song, with a music video that features Tom Petty on a date with a dead Kim Basinger in a wedding dress.  That didn’t stop anyone from getting on the dance floor, where we celebrated the rest of the night.  It was magical.

Photographers: Kim+Phil Photography / Flowers: Ink & Peat / Dress: Elizabeth Dye, English Department / Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Suits: Duchess Clothier / Ties & Shirts: Collier & Brooks Brothers / Hair: Dosha / Makeup: Blush Beauty Bar / String Trio: Classical Revolution PDX / Singers: W.C. Beck & Sara-Catherine Wheatley / Reception Band: Swingline Cubs / Cake: Bakery Bar / Mini Macaroons: Little Bird Bistro / Sign In Book: Artist Katie Ries / Photo Props: The Funny Side of Life / Cake Toppers & Sign Garland: Kate Greiner / Invitations & Programs: Studio Olivine / Venue: Garden Vineyards

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Post tags: Artist Katie Ries, Bakery Bar, Blush Beauty Bar, bouquet, Brooks Brothers, Centerpieces, Classic Revolution PDX, Collier, Color Palette Peach Cream, Croquet, Dosha, Duchess Clothier, Elizabeth Dye, English Department, Etsy, Garden Vineyards, Hanker chiefs, Hillsboro, Ink & Peat, Jenny Yoo, Kate Greiner, Kim+Phil Photography, Little Bird Bistro, Oregon, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Parasols, Sara-Catherine Wheatley, Striped Straws, Studio Olivine, Swingline Cubs, The Funny Side of Life, Umbrellas, Vineyard Weddings, W.C. Beck, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Ryan and I met on a blind date our first year at the University of Virginia, but we didn’t start dating right then. Instead we became good friends over the next couple of years, and started dating the summer before our fourth year! Six years later, Ryan made a surprise trip to Philadelphia where I was working in buying for Anthropologie (he was a consultant in DC, and we had been long distance for over three years). He arrived in the morning, and literally proposed on my front stoop. He whisked me around Philadelphia to celebrate by hitting up some of our old favorite restaurants and places culminating with a extravagant dinner at Fountain. It was such a fun and exciting weekend, only to be surpassed by our actual wedding weekend which was ten months later.

For our wedding, we immediately knew that we had to go back to where it all began: Charlottesville. The good news was, my mom actually grew up outside of Charlottesville, so we also knew that we wanted to have the reception on the farm where she grew up. This is the place where we spent every Christmas and made countless other visits, and always reminds me of my mom’s mom with whom I was very close. We picked a beautiful church on the downtown mall, Christ Episcopal, for the ceremony and were so blessed to be married by an amazing priest there, Dave Johnson.

We had two main goals of our wedding: to make it fun for our guests, and to make it personal. For the fun factor we focused on special touches such as a fabulous band, busing guests to/from our reception, and passed hors d’oeuvres and champagne for all upon entering cocktail hour, to name a few. Regarding personal touches, we spent a lot of time picking details for our ceremony, Ryan’s sister hand drew our sixteen page wedding booklet, our table names were places at UVA, and our beer and wine was from local companies. We poured countless hours in to these to these details and many more, which I think make a wedding really feel special.

Ryan was very involved in the planning process, but my mom and I were the team that executed all of the special details. We were very lucky to be in the same city during the time leading up to the wedding, so we worked on everything together loving every minute. One of my favorite memories, is that my mom and I worked with a wedding gown designer in Richmond, VA to transform a Monique Lhuillier wedding gown in to exactly what I had always dreamed about. My mom even handmade the gorgeous flower on my hip. It was a lot of work but we loved the time together and the finished product.

Regarding color inspiration, I knew I wanted to incorporate yellow in some way… my nursery was yellow and I have loved the color since childhood. I decided, however, not to have eight beautiful but all very different bridesmaids wear yellow. So I thought of navy. It’s a classic color, and it felt a little softer than black for a wedding at the end of May with an outdoor reception. I found some fantastic yellow beaded necklaces at Anthropologie, which I thought would do just the trick to make the look a little more fun than traditional. My mom and I wrapped the necklaces and sent them to each of my bridesmaids with a note that they could choose any short navy dress they wanted to go with the necklace. My little sis and maid of honor chose a long dress, which I loved because it helped her stand out. I was thrilled with that decision because everyone picked a dress in their price range in which they were comfortable, and we were all photographed together the look was stunning!

Ryan and I have so many vivid and beautiful memories from our wedding day (expertly captured by Jen Fariello) but I will speak to just a couple. We have both discussed this ad nauseum, and we both agree that our absolute favorite memory was between the cocktail hour and reception. Our coordinator moved our guests to the tent, holding back my mom, dad, Ryan and me. There was a path between the porch where we held cocktail hour and the tent for dinner and dancing. She send my parents down the path and a couple of minutes later me and Ryan. When we got to the tent everyone was clapping and cheering, and our band immediately started playing our first dance song and we whirled on to the dance. It was an unexpected memory as we hadn’t planned to make that entrance, which made it all the better.

Another amazing memory was our exit. Everyone was lined up and the path was lit by sparklers all the way from the tent to our getaway convertible. Our band was playing one of our favorite songs in the background and everyone was clapping and yelling excitedly! When we got to the car, my sweet mom was standing right there. I was so happy that I got to give her a big hug and tell her how perfect the entire day was since we had planned the entire event ourselves. The car was already packed with champagne and a picnic basket, and Ryan and I were in amazement looking back on the crowd, tent, and beauty.

Photographer: Jen Fariello / Floral Designer: Pat’s Floral Design / Invitations: Reaves Engraving / Cupcakes: The Mixing Bowl / Wedding Gown Designer: Pleiades Bridal / Bride’s Dress Flower: Bride’s Mom / Venue: Private Residence / Day of Coordination: Beverly Wakefield / Ceremony Location: Christ Episcopal Church

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Post tags: bouquet, Charlottesville, Christ Episcopal Church, Color Palette Yellow Navy, Cupcakes, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Jen Fariello, Monique Lhuillier, Pat's Floral Design, Pleiades Bridal, Reaves Engraving, Summer Weddings, The Mixing Bowl, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Rentals by Wine Country Party & Events.

Our best man had taken Brian to visit his family’s property, Seven Arches, in the Summer of 2004. Brian fell in love with the property – 400 acres of peaceful serenity is easy to love!  As our best man watched mine and Brian’s relationship grow, he would always mention that we should get married at Seven Arches even though no one had been married there before. It wasn’t a tough sell, we just felt in our hearts that was the right place for us to say “I Do”.  Brian wanted an outdoor ceremony. California fall weather is amazing, the scenery offered breath-taking photo ops, our families were able to travel to a destination they might never travel to on their own… it was all perfect!

I have always loved fall colors. We figured that because grapes in Sonoma in the fall are purple, we would have rich wine and purple tones paired with warm hues of gold and amber. Our tent was love at first sight!  Our Moroccan inspired marigold “Maharaja” tent from Raj tents was insanely beautiful. 3 glam chandeliers created a romantic atmosphere and made the golden interior of our tent glow.  It was so warm and welcoming, very cozy!

Our theme was “Rustic Romantic Elegance” and Bonnie at Dragonfly Floral achieved just that! She had such an impressive portfolio to gain inspiration from and wonderful suggestions to coordinate with our theme.  The pops of color from Peonies and English Roses brought beautiful life to the grapevine, herbs and greenery we picked out.  The wooden crates andtall branchy centerpieces gave rustic flare to the ceremony and reception.

Cake: Oliver’s Market / Catering: Park Avenue Catering / Venue: Seven Arches / Music & Entertainment: Michael Peterson / Florist: Dragonfly Floral / Hair & Makeup: Stephanie from Pucci / Linens: Park Avenue Catering / Tent Rental: Raj Tents / Paper Products: Celebrations in Paper / Photographer: Hollye Schumacher Photography / Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events / Cinematography: Met Media / Wedding Coordinator: Victoria Canada Weddings & Events / Wedding Dress: Destiny’s Bride / Wedding Officiant: Father Gerry Caprio

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Post tags: Antique Ring, bouquet, California, California Weddings, Celebrations in Paper, Color Palette Purple and Orange, Destiny's Bride, Dragonfly Floral, Flip Flops, Hollye Schumacher Photography, Met Media, Oliver's Market, Park Avenue Catering, RAJ Tents, Sonoma, Victoria Canada Weddings & Events, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wine Country Party & Events, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Need a little more of this adorable couple? How about the highlight film from GMElliot Videography?

Emily + Nathan Wedding Highlights; The Lakehouse Inn- Perkasie, PA from Glen Elliott on Vimeo.

I knew that our wedding had to have a vintage feel to it because Nathan and I are definitely a couple that wish we lived in the 1960′s. That being said I didn’t want to go overboard and have it end up being kitschy because I have always dreamed of having a really elegant, formal wedding, so I was very torn on how to have an equal balance of both without ending up more towards one direction.

So after collecting a million pictures of both retro and traditional weddings I ended up with a rounded out idea – a shabby chic wedding, more chic in the reception area and keeping the ceremony (which was set to be outside and had to be moved indoors at the last second due to rain) and cocktail area with more fun vintage details – like cake plates stacked with flowers and frames with pressed flowers.

We also wanted people to walk around the cocktail hour when they were able to see more things and look at something and say “Oh wow that is SO them.” I feel we were able to accomplish this with our “Love Is” framed cartoons, birdhouse card box, and microbrew tasting.

The birdhouse card box was so perfect for holding all the wedding cards and looks so cute in our house now. It was made in our wedding color scheme so it fit perfectly and I LOVE that is says “est. May 7, 2011″.

For the flowers throughout the cocktail hour and reception I wanted it to look fresh and bright and like we just picked them but still with some structure. So to achieve this I decided to have very little greenery in the bridesmaid’s bouquets and on the tables but to keep the garden-y feel we hung mossy green vines from the chandeliers and hand an amazing arch made with curly willows vines and our flowers!

It was so perfect!

Venue: Lake House Inn / Catering: Jeffrey Miller Catering / Wedding Planning: The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants / Photography: Hoffer Photography / Cinematography: GMElliott Videography / Ceremony Officiant: Journeys of the Heart / Ceremony Music: Philadelphia String Quartet / Flowers: Robertson’s Flowers / Reception Entertainment: Three Rivers Entertainment / Invitations & Stationery: Argus Printing / Hair and Makeup: Francesco & Giovanni Salon & Spa / Gown: Monique Lhuillier, The Wedding Shoppe in Wayne / Bridesmaid dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse / Cake Topper: Jayne Williams Cake Toppers / Socks: Advantage Bridal / Headband: Jennifer Behr / Earrings: Haute Bride / Wedding Card Birdhouse: Etsy, Door County Woodworks / Mr. & Mrs. Signs: Etsy, Romantic Planet / Aphrodite beaded Garter: Etsy, Florrie Mitton / Personalized “I do” Hanger: Etsy, Rachel Walter

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Advantage Bridal Jennifer Behr, Argus Printing, bouquet, Colo Palette Green Blue White, Etsy, Francesco & Giovanni Salon & Spa, G M Elliott Videography, Haute Bride, Hoffer Photography, Jayne Williams Cake Toppers, Jeffery Miller Catering, Journeys of the Heart, Lake House Inn, Men's Wearhouse, Monique Lhuillier, Pennsylvannia, Philadelphia String Quartet, Pricilla of Boston, Rovertson's Flowers, Summer Wedding, The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, The Wedding Shoppe in Wayne, Three Rivers Entertainment, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Photography: Sargeant Photography

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a colorful Corona wedding with my favorite bouquet
glamor overload at this swanky Los Angeles affair
a dahlia explosion at this Point Reyes party
a cutiepatootie Mira Vista celebration 
a modern Manhattan Beach black tie event

Some fabulous links from around the web:

is this the cutest ice cream cart or what?  I’d love to see it at a real wedding!
an eventful round-up of things to do and discounts at Charmed Weddings
creative and unique escort and place cards at oh so beautiful paper

Have a glorious weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bouquet, California, Charmed Events, Ice Cream Cart, Oh So Beautiful Paper, Orange County, Purple, Rustic, Sargeant Photography, Succulent, Sweet Lucies
Post categories: California Weddings

photography courtesy of IQ photo

{pretty, pretty, pretty short wedding dress from Dolly Couture}

{angela and ben’s smp photo gallery}

from Laurel …

Iowa-born Angela met British Ben in 2007 while working together in London. In March 2008, Ben surprised Angela with a trip to the medieval city of Bruges, and there he proposed in the candlelight of a beautiful restaurant.  He also amazed her by presenting her with a gorgeous ring that had caught her “designer eye” on a jeweler’s website.   The couple wanted to combine their wedding with a visit to family and friends in the US.  After talking about many possible locations for their ceremony, they decided on San Francisco. “San Francisco was on the top of our list because it’s such a fun and funky city,” says Angela.  A cousin living in San Francisco suggested City Hall.  Angela and Ben were completely intrigued when they saw the beautiful pictures on IQ Photo’s website. They were sold  — San Francisco City Hall it was!  In selecting San Francisco and her vendors there, Angela wanted to create a wedding that was fun and carefree with a little twist. “I wanted the day to represent us as a couple – nothing too serious!”

The long distance planning was a breeze for the self-described “Internet hound”.   Good thing, too – because after making preliminary contact with vendors in San Francisco the couple got word from their immigration lawyers that Angela’s extended visa application had been denied, and that she would have to leave Britain by the end of the year!  With only a few weeks to pull it all together, they got on the phone and email that very night.  Luckily, San Francisco City Hall was able to fit them in on New Year’s Eve for the ceremony, and all the other details fell into place.  For her dress, Angela wanted something that really represented her personal style: “nothing too foofy, but elegant and funky with a splash of color. I love retro styles, so I knew I needed to find a vintage-inspired dress.” She found LA-based Dolly Couture, which allows you to select the dress you like and then customize it to your heart’s content.   Angela put together drawings and color swatches for Dolly and her team. “They were amazing from day one. They sent pictures of my dress as it was being made, helped me confirm the type of fabric and color choices – they were so lovely to work with. Once it was ready to go, they shipped it to London and the dress fit like a glove.”

Angela made her own birdcage veil, following instructions on the how-to website Made by Maryann. Ben’s suit was an elegant Paul Smith design, from the Paul Smith store in Covent Garden, and his shirt, tie and cufflinks were purchased at Selfridges in London.  Bride and groom made a point of not telling each other what their outfits were going to be.  Angela says “It was so much fun hiding our garment bags from each other on the flight over and in the hotel. It made the big day even more exciting!” Angela also found the flowers online. One of her favorite flowers is the gerber daisy, so she knew she wanted them in the mix, along with mini calla lilies, roses and orchids in vivid pink and orange to match the accents in her dress.  She searched San Francisco-based florist web sites and came across us ~ Laurel Ann Winzler of Laurel Designs.  Via email she explained what she was looking for and said, “Laurel came back with some great ideas and seemed to understand exactly what I wanted in the bouquet, boutonnière and my flower headpiece. The flowers turned out perfectly and really helped to pull the entire outfit together.”

The day of the wedding was sunny and beautiful, and the setting at San Francisco City Hall created the dramatic backdrop for the ceremony.  Their perfect little bridesmaid was their 8-month-old daughter, Bay, who got into the spirit of the day despite missing her nap.  Following the ceremony, the couple enjoyed a photo session along the San Francisco shoreline and a romantic dinner for two at Woodward’s Garden Restaurant, a local gourmet favorite.  Looking back, Angela says she would not change a single thing. “I loved every minute of it. I think one of the best things that really came out of it was how friendly and helpful every person was who was involved in helping us pull this off. It felt like everything was meant to be as it just fell into place.”

Congratulations on a pretty, pretty, pretty wedding day and thanks to Laurel for sharing!  To see more of Laurel’s sensational floral designs, be sure to take a look at her SMP portfolio gallery and this super-Sausalito wedding featured in December on Style Me Pretty!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bouquet, City Hall, DIY Veil, Dolly Couture, IQ Photo, Laurel Designs, New Year's Eve, San Francisco
Post categories: Bouquets, Little Black Book Blog, Shoes, Vintage Chic, Wedding Dresses

LOVE this shot of Allison!

I’m serious, what a perfect place for a wedding ~ everyone LOVES Austin and this place looks fabulous! Not to mention Allison ~ how pretty is she?

… and a great time was had by all!

You can see and hear more about Allison & Ryan’s celebration on Stella & Leon’s blog! Thanks SO much for sharing ~ and Congratulations to Allison & Ryan!!

We hope y’all have enjoyed our little bit of Texas-love from the Alesi’s today! Have a great, great weekend!

Caterers: The Salt Lick (bbq), Venue: Mercury Hall, Desserts:Tiff’s Sweets and Amy’s ice cream

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Austin, bouquet, Mercury Hall, Peacock Feathers, Stella Alesi Photography, Texas Weddings
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

from Stacy …

Rebecca and Victor met in Chile, where they are both architects, and had a child named Sam. They decided to get married on a trip back home to visit Rebecca’s family, but they wanted the wedding to be relaxed, colorful, and unique. They got married at a local courthouse at an intimate ceremony witnessed only by Rebecca’s immediate family, followed by a larger reception at Joe T Garcia’s, a very well-known Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth.

They were married the same weekend as their baby, Sam’s, birthday … so they had a special cake for him, too!

Once again ~ a terrific wedding from The Wedding Photographer ~ Stacy Reeves!!

Our Congrats to Rebecca, Victor & Sam!

* * *

Wedding Credits ~ Rebecca’s Dress was designed by Mathew Williamson; Wedding Cake by Crème de la Crème; Birthday Cake by Melody Britt, Flowers by Mia Fiori

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bouquet, Courthouse, Creme de la Creme, Fort Worth, Joe T. Garcia's, Mathew Williamson, Mia Fiori, Roses, Stacy Reeves Photography, Texas Weddings
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography, Whimsical